Wolf Cub
by Calanthe Ellephi
Summary: Harry Potter has never had an easy life. Abused and hated by his relatives, he is near to giving up. But when his Godmother Anna Lupin, half werewolf and world class Auror comes to pick him up, will he finally have the family he deserves?
1. Prologue

**ANNA LUPIN ESCAPES DEATH EATER ATTACK**

_Yesterday afternoon at three thirty, Anna Lupin, twenty seven year old Auror and twin sister to Remus Lupin, was attacked whilst in Diagon Alley by ten armed Death Eaters. Amongst them were notorious offenders Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov. Although no bystanders rushed to Miss Lupin's aid, she successfully disarmed eight of the offenders and incapacitated three of them, after which she disapparated to an unknown location. Miss Lupin is a well-known Auror famous for her speed and skill, which has caught many an experienced wizard out and helped to bring about the jailing of Avery Mulciber,Travers, Jugson, Yaxley, Rowle and the two Lestrange brothers Rabastan and Rudolphus, although both escaped on the way to imprisonment._

_There have been no more reported sightings of Miss Lupin after the attack, except for one. Mrs Figg, a little known Squib who presides in the village of Little Whinging, spotted a figure striding up her street at eight o'clock in the evening._

"I was just coming back from watering the garden, it being dark, when I noticed the street lights dimming one after the other. A figure was walking underneath them, wrapped in a thick coat. I remember now that dimming the lights as she passed was always a speciality of Anna – she hated unwanted attention. I thought it may have been her then because of the figure's hair. Anna always had the most beautiful long chestnut curls like her mother – very distinguishable in a crowd.

Anyway, the figure stopped at the house of the Dursley's, who are the uncle and aunt of Harry Potter, who currently lives with them. She walked up the drive, tapped the door, and slipped inside. After about two minutes I heard a loud bang and saw a flash, and then about three minutes after that I saw the figure reappear, with young Harry holding her hand. Petunia was standing in the doorway yelling after her, but she took no notice. They disapparated at the end of the street. I didn't go to help Petunia – Anna is Harry's Godmother, so if she wants to remove Harry from Privet Drive she can. I certainly don't have a problem with it. The Dursleys hate poor Harry – treat him like filth, they do."

_There have been no more reported sightings of either Anna Lupin or Harry Potter, but Remus Lupin notified us this morning shortly before this article went into print to reassure readers that both Anna and Harry are safe in a guarded location. For more on the fight and the Death Eaters that attacked Miss Lupin, please see page four._

Severus Snape placed the Prophet carefully on the table, his thoughts elsewhere, or, more specifically, on Lily's son and his once best friend.

"Severus?" Minerva asked.

"Look." He replied shortly, leaving the table as suddenly as he had replied. His mind was filled with only one thing – the location of one half-werewolf and his lily's son.


	2. Of moonlit nights

Harry wiped his forehead with the back of a grimy hand. He had been working all day without food or water in the garden, pruning the roses, mowing the lawn, painting the fence, cleaning the windows, planting the flowers... He sighed as he set the watering can down. It was five to eight in the evening, and he was feeling lightheaded. Slowly, he clambered around the back and into the kitchen. Dudley he could hear, laughing uproariously at some program in the living room. Vernon's harsh, grunting voice punctuated the shrill voice of the TV Presenter. Harry groaned.

Suddenly, Aunt Petunia walked in, carrying a tea tray laden with half-finished plates of food. She regarded the nine year old, scowling, and he watched, stomach grumbling, as she scraped the excess food into the bin. No dinner tonight, either, then.

"Watch where you're standing, boy. You'll spread muck around my nice, clean house in those filthy clothes." She snapped at him. Those filthy clothes happened to be hand-me-downs from Dudley – therefore they were six sizes too big, ripped, torn and mucky.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He issued quietly.

"And you can clean the dishes, too. Then, bring your Uncle and I some wine, and Dudley some cola." Harry nodded, his heart sinking. When Uncle Vernon had wine, it often made him more bad-tempered. Sighing, he set about washing the dishes. His hands were chapped and sore, and twice he had to lean against the kitchen counter as light headedness washed over him. After placing the dishes in perfect formation in the cupboard, he carefully poured some wine for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, and grabbed a can of cola for Dudley.

Creeping into the living room, he set the drinks down on the table, crouched down low so that he wouldn't block their view. Job done, he slipped away again, and then had to lean against the doorframe as his world swayed. He felt sick.

"Whatever is the matter, boy?" Vernon's deep, growling voice asked from where he was lounging on the couch, wine glass in hand. Dudley looked up, eyes glinting maliciously.

"Well... it's just... I haven't had any water yet today, sir, so please could I have a glass?" he asked quietly. There was silence. Vernon stood, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"What did you say?" he asked, advancing.

"Please could I have some water, sir?" Harry asked boldly, looking up into his eyes. The next minute, his head cracked against the doorframe as Vernon punched him in the chest.

"How dare you? You stupid piece of incompetent freakish filth!"

Anna walked down the street with a spring in her step and the wind in her hair. It combed out the tangles in the chestnut curls, flinging the loose strands behind. It was dark, a half moon peeping out from behind the clouds, and Anna, completely out of habit, dimmed the lamps as she passed. She winced suddenly at a sharp pain in her side, and scowled. Dolohov's curse had met its mark. She'd have to get Poppy to have a look at it later. Her coat rippled in the breeze, and she pulled her collar up against the bite of the cold.

Finally, she was going to meet her Godson. For eight years since Lily and James had died, she had never been able to see him. It had been too dangerous, her being a well-known Auror and therefore a target for Death Eaters. She hoped his relatives wouldn't mind her visiting.

She came to stop by an immaculate house about half way down the street. Walking up the drive, she noted that everything was pruned to perfection. The curtains in the living room were drawn, but she could see the flickering light of the television through the lace. She could also hear a raised voice, and flicked her wand, listening in.

"How dare you? You stupid piece of incompetent freakish filth!" Then, there was a loud crack, followed by a tinkle, followed by a louder crack. Frowning, she tapped the front door twice with her wand. It sprung open, and she stepped inside, silently shutting it behind her. No lights were on in the hall, but Anna, who preferred the dark, stowed her wand away in her pocket and crept to the living room door. She couldn't see much through the gap – a fat boy lounged on the couch in front of the TV, a can of cola swinging lazily from his hand. She could just make out another figure, their back to her. Carefully, she pushed the door open. And then froze.

"Get away from my godson." She spat, pointing her wand across the room. There was a deathly silence, broken by a woman with a horse-face walking in, spotting Anna, and dropping the china in shock. Anna's attention, however, was focused on the large, bulbous man with the red cheeks, no neck and a maniacal expression. He was holding a belt in mid swing, poised over a small, shaking bundle.

"Get away from him!" she repeated, taking another step into the room. The fat boy cowered away, his piggy eyes fixed on the wand in her hand. Anna ignored him. The bulbous man found his voice.

"Who the hell are you, to come into my house and order me around? I do what I like with my property." He raised the belt again.

"I am his Godmother." Angrily, she flicked her wand and he was blasted across the living room into the back of the sofa. She strode over, pushing the woman out of the way, and knelt next to the crumpled, shaking bundle.

The child was barely discernable as a human – ragged, oversized rags ill-covered his body, and he was so thin she could easily count his ribs through his skin. Gently, she pushed some of his hair out of his face, marvelling at its likeness to James'. The child's eyes were tight shut, tears leaking out from under his eyelashes. His face was deathly pale and painfully thin, his cheekbones prominent. A thin stream of blood ran from his nose, and more matted the hair at the back of his head. He had a bruise above one eye.

"Sssh, it's ok." She whispered, ignoring the bulbous man advancing behind her. The child's eyes opened, and emerald orbs filled with pain looked up into hers.

"Please don't hurt me, miss."

"I won't, child. I'm here to look after you." Carefully, she gathered the trembling boy into her arms and stood, facing the man behind her. She only came up to his chin, but she glared up at him all the same, standing so close their faces almost touched.

"You should be ashamed. Both of you. How dare you treat a child, my Godson, and your nephew like this?" Shaking her head, she strode to the door, coat billowing out behind her.

"Please, miss?" A quiet voice asked from her arms.

"Yes, child?"

"Could you put me down so that I can collect my stuff?"

"Of course." She replied, gently setting him down. He straightened himself out painfully, and Anna could see the hurt in his eyes. Even as a nine year old, he only reached her elbow. He slipped to the cupboard under the stairs, and disappeared inside, appearing moments later with a book bag and a folded blanket, and clutching a tattered toy wolf. One of its amber eyes was missing.

"Is that everything?" she asked quietly, barely retaining her temper. He owned next to nothing. She recognised the wolf, though. It used to be hers. She had given it to him for a christening present. The fact that he still had it sent a warm glow through her.

"Yes, miss." The child watched in wide eyed amazement as she minimised his belongings into her pocket. She left out the wolf, however, and he grasped it tight, the tail hanging out of his palm. Anna took his free hand, gently leading him to the door.

"Where are you taking him?" the horse-faced woman, barely recognisable as the Petunia Evans Anna had once known, grasped her arm. She shook her hand off, pushing open the door.

"Away from here." She retorted. Carefully, she steered the boy through the front door and down the path. The street was still silent and dark, the moon now obscured by clouds. The boy shivered in his thin clothing, so Anna unwound the scarf from around her neck, letting her hair fall completely free, and transfigured it into a coat for him.

"Here." She said softly, helping him put it on. It looked very out of place to his worn attire, his thin face just visible through the top.

"Anna Lupin." Petunia was still standing in the doorway. Anna turned round to glare.

"Yes."

"I remember you. You were at her funeral. And his christening. You're Lily's friend. And a werewolf."

"Actually, a half-werewolf. But I don't hesitate to remind you that Lily would hate you for what you've done to her son." Turning away, she took the boy's hand and led him away down the street, keeping to the shadows. An owl hooted nearby, and the boy jumped. Anna hooted back, and a snowy white shape shot overhead, fluttering up into the trees. At the end of the road, Anna turned to him.

"I need you to hold tight to my hand, ok? You'll feel a little sick." He nodded, and the bony, freezing hand grasped hers tightly. She spun on the spot, calling 'Hogwarts' and felt the darkness press in. The boy's hand was slipping out of hers, however hard he grasped it, so Anna reached out into the black and pulled him closer. Eventually the dark receded and they emerged, spinning, outside the gates.

Looking down, she saw the boy on his knees, head down. He promptly threw up, shaking miserably.

"Ssh, it's ok. Here, drink this. It'll help with the sickness. For a first timer, you did pretty well." She handed him a small, blue vial which he downed warily. At once, a small portion of colour returned to his ashen face.

"Sorry, Miss Lupin." He muttered, head down. Anna tilted his head up so that he was looking directly at her.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Harry. Everyone's sick on their first time at Apparation." It was the first time she had used his name out loud, and she saw a tiny flash of happiness in his eyes as she did. Making a mental reference to always call him Harry, she smiled and helped him to his feet. The gates loomed over them, casting pointed shadows on the ground. The driveway was covered in trees, twisting wildly, their silhouettes sharp and dark in the moonlight. However, Anna could just see the castle gleaming white in the distance.

"Where are we?" Harry asked nervously.

"Hogwarts, Harry. School of Magic and Wizardry." She slipped an arm around his shoulders and carefully steered him through the gates onto the drive. The small, white face gazed up into hers.

"Magic? Is that what you did when you made my stuff get smaller and brought us here and changed your scarf into a coat and sent Uncle Vernon flying across the room?"

"Yes. When you come here, you'll learn how to do that. Although I'm not sure they'll teach you how to do what I did to your uncle." She grinned, helping him along as they slowly walked up the drive. Harry's face was alive with excitement as he looked up at her.

"Am I magic? Cause sometimes weird things would happen, like once I was being chased by Dudley's gang and I hid behind the bins and then I ended up on the roof. I got beaten for that." He said matter-of-factly in one breath. Anna frowned.

"Yes, that's what's called accidental magic. It's what happens when you don't have a wand. Did Dudley's gang chase you a lot?"

"Yeah, nearly all the time. I didn't have any friends, because if anyone was nice to me Dudley's gang would beat them up. They liked to go 'Harry Hunting.' I won't have to go back there, will I?" He asked nervously. Anna stopped, and knelt down. He turned to face her, his eyes a little above hers.

"I promise that you won't, Harry. Being your godmother, I technically have custody of you anyway, because your parents said that if anything happened to them then I would look after you. But Dumbledore had other ideas."

"Who's Dumbledore?" Harry asked, as they resumed walking. Anna pondered the question. How do you explain someone you don't really understand yourself at times to a nine year old boy?

"He's the headmaster of this school, and one of my very good friends." She said at last. "He's immensely powerful. And old."

"Old? As in, like, a hundred years old?" Harry queried.

"As in, like, a hundred and twenty years old." She replied seriously. Harry stopped walking, his mouth hanging open.

"A hundred and twenty? But... that's not even possible. Even the oldest man in the world is only a hundred and nine!"

"Aah, but Dumbledore is a wizard." Anna explained wisely. "Wizards and Witches live much longer than Muggles, who are non-magical people."

"Like my aunt and uncle?" Harry asked curiously. Anna stopped to knock twice on the large double doors of the castle. They boomed resoundingly.

"Exactly. Your Aunt and Uncle are probably the least magical people I've ever met."

Harry nodded wisely. The doors swung open to reveal an agitated Filch, his hat on lopsided and his eyes darting around. He jumped a little as he looked up at Anna, and then scowled across at Harry.

"Waking me from my bed...stupid time of night...inconsiderate..." he muttered, hobbling off. Anna watched him go in amusement, and felt a small tug on her sleeve. Harry was pointing across the corridor to the house glasses.

"What're those, Miss Lupin?" he asked, slipping across the corridor for a closer look. Anna followed, craning her neck to look up at them. Gryffindor were in the lead, their glass being three quarters full, with Slytherin close behind, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw almost on identical amounts in third. She grinned and took Harry's arm gently, leading him away. He kept glancing back, eyes wide.

"Those are the house glasses that count the number of points each house has. Gryffindor is the red one, Slytherin is the green one, Hufflepuff is the lilac one and Ravenclaw is the bronze one."

"So Gryffindor is winning? What house were you in, Miss Lupin?" Harry asked. He was walking slower now, and Anna could see the exhaustion on his face, as well as a faint greenish tinge. He yawned slightly behind his hand, and then looked up. "Sorry. I didn't sleep that much last night."

"It's ok. I shouldn't be getting you to walk this far anyway, seeing as you haven't drunken anything in a day or eaten anything in a couple of days. We can do something about that, though." Carefully, she led him down a staircase into the kitchens. Even though it was half past eight in the evening, the house elves were still hard at work, cooking and cleaning. The kitchens were surrounded by a warm, cosy glow, and the head house elf hurried up as soon as Anna helped Harry in.

"Mistress Lupin! My, my, I haven't seen you in a while. And who is this?" he asked kindly, spotting Harry, who was leaning against Anna as he looked around in wonder.

"This is Harry, Meyer. He hasn't eaten in two days, and hasn't drunk anything all day. Do you reckon you could fix him something? Nothing too heavy."

"Anything for you, Mistress Lupin. Please take a seat." He strode off into the maze of isles, and Anna led Harry over to the table that was in the corner. It was already occupied at one end by a tall, disapproving man with black eyes and long, greasy hair.

"Professor Snape." Anna said, nodding to him politely as she sat Harry down at the opposite end. The small boy was almost dead on his feet, his eyes fluttering shut periodically. Snape nodded back, his eyes fixed curiously on Harry's pale face. Meyer hurried over, carrying a bowl of hot soup and a glass of water.

"Will this suffice for the young master, Mistress Lupin?"

"That's perfect, Meyer."

Harry opened his eyes to look down onto the bowl of soup. They widened fractionally as he gazed up at her.

"Is it for me?" he asked in confusion. Anna could see Snape's frown out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, Harry. You don't necessarily have to eat all of it, but I want you to drink the water slowly and eat as much as you can."

"Thanks, Miss Lupin!" Harry threw his arms around her briefly, before carefully starting to spoon soup into his mouth hungrily. Anna glanced down at Snape briefly, to see him beckon her slightly. Nodding, she quietly got up and the two slipped over to another corner of the kitchen where Anna could still see Harry.

"Explain." Snape bit out.

"I went to visit him, found his uncle beating him so removed him. He hasn't eaten in two days, and hasn't had a drink in a day. His back is covered in scars and bruises."

Snape looked directly at her, black eyes ever-so-slightly shocked. "His uncle beat him?"

"_Yes_, Professor."

A small voice interrupted them. "I think you may need to take the young master to bed, Mistress Lupin. He's eaten about half of his soup and drunk most of his water." Anna turned, to see Meyer pointing over to where Harry was asleep, head on the table. Chuckling, she walked over and carefully picked him up. His head lolled back against her shoulder, hands clenched into fists.

"Thank you, Meyer. I'm sorry he didn't eat everything."

"No matter, Mistress Lupin. No matter. Good night." He carefully ushered them from the room, until Anna found herself in the corridor once more, plus one Severus Snape.

"Goodnight, Professor." She nodded to him politely, before turning to walk away. A gentle hand on her arm prevented her.

"Let me come with you, Miss Lupin. If he wishes to sleep on his back tonight someone will need to heal it, and you will need someone to open doors for you."

"Thank you, Professor." Anna inclined her head, and he matched her pace as she walked away.

"I didn't know you were related to Mr Potter." He said silkily, trying to look indifferent. Anna nodded to him as he held a door open for her.

"I'm not, as such. I'm his God Mother, but I haven't seen him since his christening. It was too dangerous."

"Indeed." He replied softly. They continued in silence down to Anna's chambers, until Harry's hand relaxed completely, letting go of his wolf. Anna stopped, about to bend down, when Snape swooped down and picked up the toy. Gently, he placed it in the child's open hand.

"Thanks, Professor." She said quietly, nodding to him. He inclined his head slightly before resuming walking next to her. They reached Anna's rooms, and she gently roused the sleeping naiad in the portrait guarding them.

"Umm...Alicia..."

The Naiad started, and opened her eyes. Spotting Anna, she hurried to the edge of the portrait, smiling.

"Anna! Long time, no see!"

"Indeed, Alicia. Luna Trees, Whispers Silently."

The portrait swung open, and Anna clambered inside. She nearly fell over, and felt a hand grab her elbow, steadying her. Snape straightened himself out next to her, face shadowed. She nodded to him, before gently lying Harry on the sofa. The child curled up, a soft sigh escaping him, and Anna gently stroked his hair as she peeled his shirt off his back. Snape was lighting a fire in the grate, and the orange glow threw Harry's scars and wounds into even greater relief.

"I need you to hold him whilst I heal his back, because this will hurt him quite a bit. I can see that he has a couple of broken bones which we will have to re-break, but I don't want to do that until the morning."

Anna nodded seriously, and gently shook his shoulder. "Harry, wake up." Harry started and his eyes flew open as he cowered back, shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon... Miss Lupin?"

"Hallo, Harry. I'm sorry to wake you up as you're obviously exhausted, but we need to heal your back so that you can sleep comfortably."

"Yes, Miss Lupin." Harry murmured, turning over obligingly. Anna moved him lightly onto her lap so that his head was resting against her shoulder, and she felt him relax against her. Her wolf was still clutched in his hand. Smiling slightly, she stroked his hair as Snape walked over carrying a pot of balm and his wand. He had taken his over-robes off, revealing a crisp white shirt that he had rolled to his elbows.

"Harry, we're going to heal the scars first, ok?" he asked in a low, warm voice. Harry nodded against Anna's shoulder, and she relayed the nod to Snape, who crouched next to them and placed his wand on one of the scars. Harry flinched as the wood touched his back, and then moaned softly as it began to close up. Anna gently rubbed his shoulders, getting him to relax properly as Snape healed the rest of his scars and moved onto the bruises. Within ten minutes, he was done, and Anna turned Harry back over and lifted him back onto the sofa so that he looked back up at her.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much." He replied softly, closing his eyes. Anna watched as his rags vanished, clothing him in clean, plain white pyjamas. Snape straightened next to her, clutching the small pile of rags in disgust. He promptly threw them onto the fire.

"Tomorrow I'll sort out his chest and re-break his bones. Have you decided what you will tell Albus?" he asked.

"No. Not yet."

"Well, I'm quite happy to stand up for you if he disagrees. Will you file charges against the Dursleys?"

"Yes, but not yet." She replied quietly, showing him to the door. He reached inside his robes and pulled out a piece of paper.

"This has all of his back injuries. I'll do another for the rest tomorrow."

"Thank you, Professor. This means a lot to me, you know." Anna said softly. He looked down at her, and Anna saw a flash in the black eyes.

"I hate to see Lily ...and James'... son as mistreated as he is as you do." He nodded once to her before vanishing out of the hole. Anna shook her head at the closed door before striding back across the room. The sleeping boy murmured in his sleep as he lay on the sofa, and Anna smiled as she gently picked him up and carried him into her spare room, tucking him under the covers. The wolf was still clutched in his hand, single amber eye just visible and bushy tail trailing over his wrist.

"Sleep well, Harry." She whispered gently to the tousled head on the pillow before dimming the lights and walking out, preparing to write a letter to Remus and for a sleepless night.


	3. The secret's out

_**Dear Remus,**_

_**I hope this letter finds you well. I need to meet with you as soon as possible – ideally tomorrow. At the moment, I am living at Hogwarts, so could we meet in my chambers? I'll make sure the floo lets you through. **_

_**The subject I need to talk to you about is Lily's son, Harry. I went to go and visit him yesterday after the Death Eaters tried to attack me, but found his uncle beating him. He is severely malnourished and ill, with many broken bones. I have removed him from the premises, and he is currently staying with me. However, I need your support if I am to convince Dumbledore to let me look after him permanently. Snape has healed his back and we aim to sort out the rest of him this coming morning.**_

_**I know this will come as a great shock to you, but please, for Lily's sake do nothing rash. Sirius is already in Azkaban – I don't want you there as well. If we are able to meet tomorrow, please come at ten, and send this owl with a quick reply. She knows where to find me.**_

_**Anna**_

Anna re-read the letter through, and then attached it to her owl's leg, carrying her gently to the window.

"Quickly, Midnight. It's for Remus." She whispered, letting the owl go. She slipped back across the room to her drinks cabinet, and took out a glass of firewhisky. As she sat on the sofa in front of the fire, emptying a glass rather quickly, she contemplated her new situation, but most of all, the nine year old boy sleeping in her spare room.

Two hundred miles away, a sandy haired man with a prematurely lined face and deep blue eyes received a letter by black owl. For three hours after he had read and re-read the letter, he did nothing but try to stop himself from apparating to the Dursleys house. Anna's letter ran through his head.

_...malnourished and ill, with many broken bones..._

_...found his uncle beating him..._

_...sort out the rest of him this coming morning..._

_...Lily's son, Harry..._

Remus crossed to the dilapidated drinks cupboard in the corner of his room, and pulled out a dusty bottle of firewhisky. And he, like his sister, sat in front of the fire and contemplated his new situation, downing the whisky in gulps.

In his separate chambers in Hogwarts, Severus Snape sat at his desk well into the night, gazing unseeing into the fire. All that he saw was a small, thin boy with a gaunt face, his back crossed with scars. Grabbing a bottle of firewhisky, he raised the neck to his lips and took a large gulp, the fiery liquor burning his throat.

_Merlin, Lily. What have they done to your son?_

In London, a single drinks taster sat at his desk, contemplating the deep red, dusty bottle in front of him. This article was due to go into the Prophet tomorrow. Hopefully he would make a tidy sum from it. Carefully, he penned twelve words onto his sheet.

_**Only the most sorrowful and angry of us drink Firewhisky in one.**_

Harry wrenched open his eyes, rubbing them harshly to clear them of sleep. His cupboard was lighter than usual, and his blanket a lot heavier. To his surprise, he realised he couldn't hear Aunt Petunia yelling through the door. He reached across to grab his glasses, which he always kept next to him as he slept, and instead found air.

Sitting bolt upright, Harry looked blearily around the room. From what little he could see without his glasses on, he was tucked into a large bed in a light-filled sun-coloured room. There was a large window at one end, looking out onto a sparkling blue lake and a baby blue sky. Confused, Harry shook his head a couple of times, slipping his feet out from under the covers to perch on the edge of the bed.

"Where am I?" he whispered softly. Shutting his eyes, he tried to picture the previous day's events. It had been a normal morning and afternoon... no breakfast or lunch as usual, he had worked in the garden all day... he had come back in at eight...Aunt Petunia had given him no dinner...he had washed up...carried some drinks into the living room...oh. Uncle Vernon had beaten him. And then he remembered a soft voice, reassuring him.

With a rush, he remembered the woman with the long, shiny brown hair who had blasted Uncle Vernon across the living room, had collected his stuff and had taken him away. They had arrived at a massive castle, and he had eaten his first meal in days...chicken soup and water...he had fallen asleep in the kitchens... he had been woken up for the man with the long black hair and strange black eyes to heal his back... oh no. No-one should see his back, Uncle Vernon had said. He was in for a beating, then.

Quickly, he jumped out of bed and padded to the door. His feet were cold, and he shivered slightly. Instead of his usual hand-me-downs, he was wearing clean white cotton pyjamas. _Where did those come from? _Pushing open the door slowly, he heard a loud creak from the hinges, and then he was into a warm, cosy living room. The same woman with chestnut hair and orange eyes was sat on a sofa, reading a newspaper. Harry narrowed his eyes as best he could. Everything was so blurry. But he was sure the pictures were moving...

"Aah, good morning, Harry. Did you sleep ok?" the woman looked up, and gave him a warm smile. Confused, Harry nodded and slipped a little closer.

"Do you know where my glasses are, miss?"

The woman glanced up, and then put the paper down.

"Aah, your glasses. Well, you were wearing them yesterday... I wonder...accio Harry's glasses!" she called, waving a long, thin wand in the air. Sparks trailed from its tip, and Harry watched in amazement as his glasses zoomed over from the other side of the room into her hands. _Magic. This is a school of Magic. Magic exists! _He thought dizzily.

"Hmm...they're a bit broken...we'll get you some new ones today, but for now...reparo!" she tapped his glasses once with the tip of the wand, and Harry watched the broken lenses right themselves, and the middle straighten out, the sticky tape vanishing with a soft pop.

"Here you are, Harry." The woman handed them back to him, and Harry carefully put them on. At once, his sight cleared somewhat and he was able to look around properly. He had been right – the picture on the front of the newspaper _was_ moving.

"Right, well, Professor Snape is coming around later to sort out your chest and broken bones... and then Remus is coming over to chat...and then we'll go into Diagon Alley to get you some new clothes." The woman smiled up at him gently, patting the seat next to her.

"Come, sit. You've missed breakfast – it's nearly quarter to nine – but I can get Meyer to bring you up something. What would you like?"

Gobsmacked, Harry stared across at her. He didn't usually get breakfast, and now this woman was asking him what he wanted, as if he had a choice!

"Umm...I don't know, miss...I don't usually get breakfast..." he said shyly, sitting down gingerly next to her. The woman frowned.

"Well, here you do. Hmm...I think...Meyer!" she clapped her hands once, and Harry watched in amazement as the same funny creature with large eyes, spindly arms and legs and a wise expression that he had seen last night appeared in front of them, bowed so low his nose almost touched the floor.

"Mistress Lupin! How can I help you?"

"Could you get Harry some breakfast, Meyer? Some toast and jam should do, and a mug of cocoa, please."

"My pleasure, Mistress Lupin, Master Potter." The spindly creature bowed to both of them, before vanishing with a soft pop. Harry stared up at the woman with wide eyes.

"Who was that, Miss Lupin?" he asked.

"That is a house elf, Harry, called Meyer. He is the head house elf for Hogwarts. The house elves do all the cooking and cleaning jobs."

Harry nodded, a little less confused than before. The house elves seemed to do what he did at the Dursleys – but even they were probably fed better than him. After today, he would probably be sent back to them. He sighed slightly, and the woman looked down at him.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

"Yes, Miss Lupin. I was wondering what would happen when you send me back to the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon will be mad, because you saw my back and no-one is meant to see my back..." He murmured softly, looking down at his shoes. He didn't want to seem ungrateful – everyone was so kind, here, and there was so much to eat... it felt like a dream. A very nice dream. It probably was one.

"Harry, look at me." The woman said sternly. Cowering back slightly, Harry looked up. He had offended her, then.

"Harry, no one is sending you back to the Dursleys. Ever. Later on today, we're going to talk to Professor Dumbledore, who will decided whether you can stay with me or not. And as for your Uncle – with any luck you will never see him again."

Harry shook his head slightly. "What do you mean, Miss? Of course you will want to send me back to the Dursleys – I'm not worth anything, and everyone hates me...no-one wants to look after me."

"Harry." The woman said again. Harry looked up nervously. "Harry, I want to look after you. Why do you think I took you from the Dursleys in the first place?"

"You do?" Harry asked incredulously. "You don't want to send me back?"

"Of course not, you silly boy. I was meant to have custody of you anyway, but Dumbledore had other ideas."

Harry smiled suddenly. He didn't hear the last bit about Dumbledore – all he heard was the confirmation that he never had to go back to the Dursleys. He jumped up and hugged her happily, burying his head in her shoulder. He felt her tense slightly, and then gently wrap her arms back around him, resting her chin on his head.

"You silly child. And stop calling me Miss Lupin. It makes me feel old. Call me Anna." She murmured into his hair. Harry smiled, and she squeezed him tightly before letting go as the House elf reappeared, clutching a plate with some toast and jam and a glass of water.

"Master Potter's breakfast, Mistress Lupin. Also, Meyer thought Mistress Lupin would like to know that Master Lupin is downstairs in the kitchens. Should I send him up?"

"Yes, Meyer. Please do." Harry looked down at the plate of food in his lap in wide-eyed surprise. It smelt so nice...but he couldn't eat it. It couldn't be for him.

"Umm...Miss ...Anna ...would you like your toast?" he asked shyly. Anna looked down, a tiny frown mark between her eyes.

"Harry, the toast is for you. I've already eaten breakfast. Now, eat up quickly, because there is someone coming who I want you to meet." Nervously, Harry gulped down his toast and water, barely registering how nice it tasted. He hardly ever had toast. The only toast he ever s_aw _was when he made it for Dudley. The second he finished, there was a soft tap at the door. Harry's head shot up as he stared at the door in fear. He felt Anna draw him close, running a hand through his hair.

"It's ok, Harry. It's my brother, Remus. He wanted to see you. He hasn't seen you since you were a baby."

The door opened, and a thin man with deep blue eyes and thin, sandy hair strode in, smiling. His face was covered in lines, and a long scar ran from one eye halfway down his cheek. His clothes were shabby and darned in lots of places. Even so, he seemed to emit a warm, happy glow, and Harry immediately calmed down. The man glanced across at him, and his eyes twinkled as he smiled.

"Harry Potter. My, you've grown. The last time I saw you, you were this high," he indicated a place just above his knee height, "and zooming around on a toy broomstick!"

"Remus!" Anna smiled happily, getting up. Harry watched as they embraced, noting how similar they looked. They must be twins, he thought. Anna dragged the man over to the sofa, where he knelt down to Harry's height, offering him a hand.

"I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself. I'm Remus, Anna's brother. It's nice to see you again, Harry."

"Thanks, sir... Remus."

The man grinned at him. "Late riser, hmm? And me, but I was dragged out of bed early by my house elf."

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm not usually a late riser, Remus. I get up at half five, normally."

"That's much too early!" Remus exclaimed, pulling a face. Harry laughed. He liked Remus. The man seemed to almost give off a happy atmosphere, no matter how ill and shabby he looked himself.

"You won't get up at half five here, Harry." Anna scolded him slightly. "Half past seven at least!"

Harry was saved by having to answer as Remus turned to his sister. "Aren't you going to let him get changed, Anna?"

"He has nothing to get changed _into_, Remus. But you do have a point. How's this, Harry?" she flicked her wand, and Harry felt his clothes shrink and then grow again. Looking down in amazement, he found himself to be wearing a pair of jeans much smarter than anything Dudley had ever owned, and a white t-shirt with a blue jumper.

"Wow! Umm...I mean...thanks, Anna!" he grinned. Anna laughed.

"Go and get washed, Harry. Bathroom's over there – I've multiplied my stuff for you." Harry jumped up, about to leave, when the door suddenly swung open. Anna and Remus turned as one, wands drawn, as a tall figure with a long, white beard wearing strange clothes strode into the room. Anna moved sideways, pulling Harry to her as the figure straightened up.

"Good grief, Albus! You could have knocked!" Remus exclaimed, lowering his wand. The tall man smiled apologetically, bright blue eyes twinkling behind a pair of gold glasses. His hair and beard were longer than Harry had first thought – they almost reached the floor in a white cascade, merging somewhere near the man's waist. The old man nodded to Remus, before staring down at Harry.

"Harry Potter! Anna Lupin, please explain immediately what Harry is doing in your rooms. I read the Prophet this morning, but I thought that Arabella was mistaken!"

"She wasn't." Anna said grimly. The twinkle faded from the man's eyes. He sat down slowly in one of the chairs, and Harry and Anna took a seat opposite, Remus leaning on the back of the chair. The door swung open suddenly, to reveal the man with the black eyes from the previous night leaning against the doorframe.

"You really can't go barging into people's rooms like that, old man. Lupin." He sneered slightly, nodding across to Remus. He strode in, shutting the door carefully behind him.

"You knew, Severus?" the old man asked, a little peevishly.

"Of course, Albus. Who do you think healed him last night?"

The man sighed, and turned back to Anna. "Well, now you have an audience, so please do explain why Harry is in your rooms, and not with the Dursleys. I placed him there for a reason, you know."

"Was the reason to let him be beaten and starved, and generally mistreated?" Anna snapped. There was silence.


	4. In denial

There was a loud explosion. The windows in the room nearly blew in, but Anna, who preferred her rooms intact, no matter how angry Dumbledore was, counteracted his flow of magic with a quick shield charm. He was grasping the arms of the chair so tightly; she was surprised the upholstery didn't break down.

"I don't believe you." Dumbledore murmured finally.

"Harry. Was. Abused. By. The. Dursleys." Anna said clearly. She glared at the meddling old man opposite her. His face was deathly pale, and his mouth was moving without actually forming the words. His eyes had lost their twinkle, and his hands were limp.

"Albus, are you alright?" Remus asked solicitously. The old man glanced up.

"No, Remus. Anna, you say Harry was abused?"

"I _know _Harry was abused." Anna retorted. Almost desperately, Dumbledore turned to Snape.

"Surely not, Severus? Please, tell me this isn't true." Snape's eyes were dark and stormy.

"It's true, Dumbledore. I healed his back myself. And you know about my expertise at...ahem...spotting children with this condition." Dumbledore nodded slightly.

"We will have to do something about the Dursleys...although perhaps not yet. Now, I assume you wish to adopt Harry?" he asked, and the tiniest amount of twinkle returned to his eyes. Anna allowed herself a small smile.

"Yes, Dumbledore. I would. Technically, as you know, I was meant to receive guardianship of him anyway."

"I know." Dumbledore passed a hand over his forehead. "But won't it be dangerous for Harry? You are a rather targeted Auror."

"Most of the time, I work from home, so that shouldn't be a problem. When I am called out, if Remus doesn't mind he could look after Harry." Across the room, Remus nodded, a shadow of a smile on his face. Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"And what of the full moon?"

Anna winced at the off-handed way he said it. She could see Remus frowning across the room.

"Well, _as you know_, I don't actually transform at the moon – I just receive Remus' pain instead, now that we're in close proximity. So my being there won't _actually _be dangerous, but I think that it may be rather disturbing..."

She could see Snape staring at her out of the corner of her eyes, and raised an eyebrow in his direction. He knew she was part werewolf, but evidently didn't know what that entailed.

"If you don't mind, I would rather stay with you, Anna." A quiet voice whispered so that only she could hear it. She glanced down to see Harry looking up at her, emerald eyes wide.

"Harry, the pain that I receive isn't ... something I can repress. It really hurts...and you'll probably hear me writhing around or moaning." She whispered down to him. He nodded, face set.

"Yes, but you said you don't actually transform. I don't really know anything about werewolves, but doesn't that mean you won't be dangerous to me?"

"Well, yes, I suppose..." Anna trailed off.

"Then I'll stay." He said obstinately. "You look after me most of the time, but at the full moon I'll look after you instead."

Anna stared down at him in amazement. He had just echoed, word for word, the exact same thing Lily had said to her all those years ago when she had discovered that Anna was half werewolf.

"Merlin, Harry. You are so like your mother! But alright, you can stay with me. If you don't like it, I'll have to send you to stay with someone else once a month." The small boy nodded determinedly.

"I assume you two have reached a conclusion by yourselves?" Dumbledore asked in amusement.

"Yes, Albus. Harry wants to stay with me, so I've said that he can, although if my...er...pain disturbs him too much I'll send him to Minerva for a night each month."

Dumbledore nodded, satisfied. "Very well...the ministry shouldn't have a problem with it, seeing as you're an Auror and only _half_ werewolf..." Anna could see Remus glaring at Dumbledore angrily. She knew that when she had been busy, he had offered to look after Harry, only to have the ministry say that he was too dangerous. She was surprised Dumbledore was being so offhand.

"...I'll send out for the papers today...ahh, one last thing. Would you like Harry to be Harry Lupin or Harry Potter?"

"What do you think, Harry?" Anna asked him quietly. The small boy shut his eyes for a second, a frown evident, and then whispered,

"Could I stay as Harry Potter, Anna?"

"Of course, Harry." Anna smiled. Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well, that is settled. I will see you at lunch, then." He stood, and nodding around at everyone, strode out. As soon as he had gone, Anna jumped up and ran across to Remus, whose fists were clenched and eyes shut.

"My room, now!" she ordered. His eyes flew open.

"But Anna, _your _room..?"

"No arguing, go!" she snapped, pushing him inside and shutting the door behind him. As soon as it closed, she heard a large explosion.

"Is Remus ok, Anna?" Harry was still sat on the sofa, a worried expression gracing his features. That a child who had only known Remus for half an hour could be so worried warmed Anna. She could see Snape frowning in the background, eyes ever so slightly intruiged.

"He's ok, Harry. When your parents died, I opted to look after you, but the ministry said that because of my job at the time it was too dangerous. Remus, who was unemployed, offered to look after you, but they said that because he was a werewolf he posed a threat to you. I don't think that the degradement he received then has ever truly gone away, and Dumbledore did throw it in today as a rather..."

"...insensitive and unhelpful comment." Snape said quietly. Anna looked up in surprise. He nodded to her.

"I was unaware of how painful it is to be a half-werewolf, so please excuse my curiosity."

"That's fine, Professor. Now then, are we going to sort out Harry so that we can actually _go _shopping, or what?"

Harry let a small grin grace his face, and Anna sat next to him as Snape pulled out a couple of vials. He knelt down to Harry's level.

"Right, Harry, I need you to drink these. What they will do is to get rid of the pain, so that you can't feel me healing you." He turned to address Anna as Harry carefully drunk the vials.

"I can re-break his ribs and shoulder with little problem, and put a charm on them to hold them steady. However, I also need to re-break his wrist, and I think it would be better if he kept that in a cast."

Anna nodded her compliance, and carefully helped Harry remove his shirt. He blushed a little, so Anna carefully hugged him, even more aware of his condition when a lattice-work of scars and bruises appeared. Nearly all of his ribs had bruises running along them, and there was a large bruise in the middle of his chest that looked recent, as it was a nasty swollen purple.

"When did that happen?" Snape asked softly as he pulled out a jar of balm. Harry winced slightly.

"Yesterday, sir, just before Anna came. Uncle Vernon was angry because I asked for a glass of water."

Snape scowled, but gently began to rub the bruise cream into Harry's chest. The boy had closed his eyes, his face a rather ghostly white, and Anna ruffled his hair in sympathy. She felt a small tap on her shoulder, and looked up. Remus stood there, a little dishevelled with his hair awry, but at least he didn't look angry. His gaze was fixed on Harry's chest.

"I'm afraid I managed to break the window, Anna."

"It's ok, Remus. Here, I'll help you fix it." She knew he wanted to talk about Harry, so pulled him quickly into her room. Most of the room was as she had left it, aside from the window, which had shattered, and her desk, the papers on which were now littered all over the floor.

"Anna, is that what Harry's back looked like as well?" he asked. His eyes were amber.

"Yes, Remi. Exactly like that, although there were more scars. Snape needs to re-break his ribs and shoulder as well, and his wrist, which he will have to wear in a cast."

Remus glared at the newly-fixed window, and it began to crack. Hurrying over, Anna laid a hand on his shoulder, fixing the glass.

"_Breathe_, Remi."

Slowly, he calmed down. Wryly smiling, he offered her an arm which she accepted gratefully, and the two slipped back into the living room to find Snape charming a cast onto Harry's wrist. The small boy grinned up at them as they entered, and Anna hurried across to inspect Snape's work. Harry's chest was almost clear of bruises and scars, save for the one Vernon had dealt yesterday. His ribs were looking rather more normal, as was his shoulder.

"That should do it. He will need to have the cast taken off in about two day's time. The spells on his ribs and shoulder should deactivate by themselves."

"Thankyou, Professor." Anna nodded to him gratefully. With a curt half-smile, Snape swept from the room in his usual bat-like way. She carefully helped Harry put his shirt back on, and then stood him up.

"Right, who's for a spot of shopping after that?" she asked. Harry grinned.

"Me!"

"Can I come?" Remus asked. "I need to get some books."

"You _always _need books, Remus! Oh, alright then." She grinned, and grabbed some floo powder.

"Harry, we're going to go by floo. You'll be with me, so you'll be fine."

"Won't the fire burn us, Anna?" Harry asked nervously.

"No – the powder stops it from hurting. See?" Anna tossed a little in, and then placed her hand in the centre of the flames. Hesitantly, Harry did the same.

"Wow!"

"Wow indeed. Remus, you go first."

She grinned as Harry stared in amazement. Remus grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossed it in, and with a quick wink at Harry strode into the flames. There was a loud whoosh, and he was gone.

"Our turn now, Harry. Here, take my hand and hold on _tight._" Harry nodded nervously, and gently Anna pulled him into the flames.

"Diagon Alley!"

They spun around, and then both were spewed from the fire into a familiar cosy atmosphere. The barman of the leaky cauldron hurried over.

"Anna Lupin! And..._Harry Potter?_ So the papers were true!" Everyone in the pub stopped what they were doing, and turned to stare. Anna raised a hand.

"Yes, Harry now lives with me. Please don't stare at him too much, everyone." At once, a loud babble broke out, although Anna was pleased to see that most were content to stare at Harry from where they stood. She gently led him out of the pub, to where Remus was waiting outside in the July sunshine.

"Not too much trouble, then?" he asked.

"No." Anna replied quietly. Remus nudged her gently, and motioned to Harry. The small boy was standing in amazement, staring around him.

"Alright, Harry?" she asked quietly. Harry looked up.

"It's _amazing_, Anna!"

She smiled, and gently led him away from the entrance to the pub. The Alley was always busy in July, and today was no exception. The street was heaving with Witches and Wizards in all manner of bright clothes. Sellers stood on the corners, their cries mingling with the loud voices of the passer-bys. Anna kept to the fringes, showing Harry all of the shops. She waved in cheerily to Ollivander, and the old man smiled at her from where he stood in the entrance to the doorway, looking out into the street.

They passed Flourish and Blotts, and Anna laughed as she spotted Remus inside, his nose already buried in a book. She smiled as they passed the Apothecary, full to the brim with strange ingredients, and then had to dodge a large crowd of boys outside Quality Quidditch supplies. All turned to stare as she passed, and she could see Harry blushing slightly as they pointed.

Finally, they reached the clothes shop. Anna had thought long and hard about which to go to, for there were two in Diagon Alley. One was Twilfitt and Tattings, usually favoured by the Pureblood elite. Anna could see Narcissa Malfoy standing in the entrance, holding tightly to a small, haughty looking boy with ice blond hair. The other, which Anna led Harry into quietly, was Madam Malkins.

"Anna Lupin! And who is this? It can't be...Harry Potter! Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you." Madam Malkin herself came hurrying over, shaking Harry's hand vigorously and then turning to Anna.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, young lady. Now, who are we fitting for?"

"Harry, please. We need the everyday clothes – shirts, jeans, jumpers, underwear, pyjamas, etc.."

"Leave it to me, my dear. Now then, young Mr Potter, what colours do you like?" Madam Malkin bustled away, Harry following slightly nervously. Anna sent him an encouraging smile as the jolly lady began rifling through the rails, muttering to herself. She leant back against the window, glad of the chance to rest. The place where Dolohov had cursed her yesterday was becoming increasingly more painful, almost like a burn.

"Nine years old, and barely tall enough to be seven...dreadfully thin...right, do you like blue, my dear? Good, try these...red as well...maybe emerald – yes, one to go with your eyes..."

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Anna left Madam Malkin's store carrying two laden bags full of clothes. He was wearing the emerald green jumper that the witch had picked out for him, much to Anna's amusement, who couldn't think what James would say if he found his son wearing a Green jumper in preference to a red one. Harry himself was rather quiet – the attentions of Madam Malkin had unnerved him slightly, so in hope of cheering him up Anna stopped outside the owl emporium.

"Wow! I've never seen so many owls in one place!" Harry was stood right up against the window, looking inside. Anna laughed, and dragged him inside. At once, most of the owls in the shop hooted at her, and she hooted back, grinning. The shop keeper, a dusty, middle aged man with a balding head, nodded at them warmly from behind the counter from where he was selling a tawny owl to an excited young boy and his mother.

"Anna, come and look at this owl!" Harry's reverent voice sounded from across the shop. Smiling, Anna walked over to see him stood in front of a large cage containing a snowy white owl with beady black eyes. Her feathers were almost pure white, apart from odd dabs of grey.

"It says her name's Hedwig! She's beautiful!" Harry grinned at the owl, who snapped her beak at him slightly, wearing an almost amused expression.

"Aah, Hedwig. One of my personal favourites, but she's never really taken a shine to anyone. She seems to like you, though, Mr Potter." The owner was stood behind them, smiling kindly down at Harry. The small boy blushed slightly, looking down at his toes.

"Would you like to get her, Harry?" Anna asked kindly.

"Can I?" Harry's whole face lit up in excitement, and he practically bounced up and down with excitement.

"Yes. How much is she, sir?" Anna politely asked the shop keeper, who was watching with an amused smile.

"To you, my dear? Well, seeing as she's taken a shine to Mr Potter, how's about we cut it to ten galleons?"

"You are very kind, sir." Anna paid him the money, and then carefully picked up the cage for Harry, who was smiling in excitement.

"She can stay on the perch with my owl, Midnight, so we don't need to buy her anything." Harry skipped along ahead of her happily, and Anna laughed as he almost ran head first into Remus, who was coming the other way, carrying a large bag of books.

"Hallo, Harry! You look rather happy!"

"Anna brought me an owl called Hedwig!" Harry grinned, dragging Remus over to her. He smiled down at the owl, who was looking this way and that in interest.

"She's beautiful, Harry. Now, it's rather hot, so what do you say I treat you both to an ice cream at Fortescue's? I've a little money left over from buying books."

"Yes, please!" Harry grinned, jumping up and down. Remus laughed, and led him across the street, followed a little more slowly by Anna. Harry stared, wide-eyed at the choice as ice creams as Remus hurried off to grab a table.

"I don't know what to have, Anna. I've never had an ice cream before." He confided quietly to her. Anna smiled. The top of his head barely reached the shelf, so she gently lifted him up so that he could see.

"What do you want, Harry? Chocolate, Vanilla, Toffee ,Mint, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry...?"

"Could I have a plain one, please? Harry asked Florean, who was watching in amusement.

"Certainly, Mr Potter. And you, Miss Lupin? And what of your brother?"

"Remus will have a mint one, Florean. And me..? Harry, what do you think I should have?"

"A chocolate one!" Harry grinned decisively.

"Very well. One vanilla, one mint, and one chocolate please Florean. And I'm paying now, so don't tell Remus."

"My pleasure, Miss Lupin. Here we are." Florean carefully handed three ice creams over the counter, as Anna noted in amusement that he had slipped a flake into Harry's.

* * *

Two hours later, Anna, Remus and Harry stood outside the Great Hall. Remus' ear was pressed to the wood of the large doors, and Anna was smiling down at Harry, who was staring at the House Glasses again.

"I think they're in there." Remus said softly. Anna nodded, and gently tapped Harry on the shoulder. The small boy started, and looked up.

"Harry, I know you've probably had enough of being stared at today, but we have, unfortunately, got to have dinner with the teachers. Most of them are really nice – Dumbledore and Professor Snape you already know, and I will introduce you to everyone else. Are you ok with that?" she asked warmly. Harry nodded nervously, and Remus pushed open the doors.

Every single teacher sat at the teacher's table looked up in surprise. There was silence. Poppy, who was sat talking to Snape, was the first to break the silence.

"Anna and Remus Lupin! Well, trust you two to be late. And... Harry Potter?" The last name was an incredulous whisper. Anna could see Hagrid at the far end, smiling down at Harry. The boy's face was slightly scared, so she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"Yes, Harry Potter. I'm surprised Professor Dumbledore hasn't told you this morning's events, actually." She grinned as her ploy worked. She, Harry and Remus slipped up the side of the room and sat near the middle as every single teacher with the exception of Snape stared accusingly at Dumbledore. Minerva was first to break the silence.

"Albus! Explain!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well Minerva, basically Anna has adopted Harry."

There were a couple of cheers from around the table, and Minerva smiled.

"Good. Now then Anna, how long have you been hiding Mr Potter in your rooms?"

"Since yesterday, Minerva. I picked him up on the way back from Diagon Alley."

The steady hum of conversation resumed, Anna making sure that Harry wasn't being questioned ceaselessly. She also listened out for the awkward questions, but surprisingly, none came. Hagrid was unusually quiet, preferring to look at Harry, so Anna leant across.

"Are you alright, Hagrid?"

"I'm fine, Anna. It's just...I haven't seen Harry since he was a baby, and I was wondering how he got so thin."

"I think the rest of us would like to know as well." Poppy said quietly. Anna looked down at Harry, who was carefully eating his sandwich. His face was pale, and his fringe covered his expression.

"Harry, do you mind me telling them? I won't if you don't want me to."

"No, it's ok Anna." Harry said bravely. She pulled him into a one armed hug, and then Remus, ever the atmosphere sensor, quickly engaged him in a conversation about Quidditch. Anna cast a silencing charm around the rest of the teachers so that Harry couldn't hear them.

"His Uncle and Aunt abused him almost from the minute he was placed with them. He's been beaten, starved and generally mistreated. Yesterday, just before I came, his Uncle punched him for asking for a glass of water."

The staff table sat in silence, but Harry and Remus were too absorbed in their conversation to notice. Anna was sure that she saw tears in most of their eyes.

"And what of your health? I know you duelled ten Death Eaters yesterday, and I find it amazing that you escaped without a scratch, Anna..." Madam Pomfrey said sharply. Anna scowled into her food.

"It was only one curse..."

"May I ask who cast it?" Poppy pressed.

"Dolohov." She muttered. There were a couple of exclamations, and Flitwick actually jumped up.

"What was the colour of the curse?" he asked hurriedly. Anna sent a quick glare at the ceiling.

"It's fine, honest, it doesn't hurt...that much..." she withered under Poppy's experienced glare. "Purple."

"I've never heard of that curse before." Flitwick said worriedly. Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Neither have I."

"I have." Snape, who had previously contented himself with listening, broke in. Everyone stopped to listen. "It is Dolohov's speciality, and not many know the counter-curse. I suspect that Miss Lupin is in rather more pain than she is letting on."

Anna scowled down the table at him as Poppy began fussing. "Where did it hit you, Anna?"

"On my side." She relented slightly, gesturing to the place.

"And what does it feel like?" Surprisingly, it was Snape who asked the question, not Poppy. Confused, Anna thought for a second.

"Almost like someone is burning a hole into my side, and jabbing needles for good measure." She admitted quietly. Snape scowled even more as some of the teachers, including Dumbledore, murmured worriedly.

"The curse is in its latter stages. If someone doesn't perform the counter curse, you are going to be in excruciating pain very quickly, Miss Lupin."

"Yes but, as you helpfully pointed out, there are very few people who know the counter curse." Anna said softly.

"I am, thankfully, one such person. After lunch, it would probably be best if you, Harry and Lupin came with me and Poppy to the hospital wing." Anna nearly denied, but after receiving glares from Remus, Poppy and Snape, decided against it. Grudgingly, she followed them up to the Hospital Wing, Harry clutching her hand tightly.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. Anna could see Snape listening, and scowled in his direction.

"Yes, Harry. At least, I will be in a minute."

She glared even more as Poppy instructed her to roll up her shirt.

"Poppy, is that _really _necessary?"

"Yes, Anna. Now, get on with it. You are just like me, you hate to be healed." Remus said in exasperation, pushing her down onto the bed. She sent him a special dark look, and refused to move.

"Anna, please!" Poppy said in annoyance. Anna shook her head.

"No."

She felt cool hands take the corner of her shirt, and yelped as Remus' hand touched her skin.

"Your hands are _freezing_!"

A small hand squeezed hers, and she looked across to see Harry sat next to her, emerald eyes worried. She sent him a reassuring smile, and then gasped in pain as Remus' hands brushed the lower bit of the mark.

"Oh my God." Remus whispered. She looked down as Poppy gave a small strangled cry and Snape hurried over. He scowled down at her.

"I wish that people wouldn't deny how far the curse has gone. Although you do recieve the prize for the most obsinate person. I've never seen it go this far." He muttered angrily, a _tiny _amount of worry in his eyes as he sat next to her. Anna scowled up at him in return, and then glanced down at her side. Ok, it didn't look brilliant. Her skin was black and purple, with an angry white patch interlaced with red standing out. But even so...

She gasped again as Snape carefully placed his wand tip against the mark. Light began to glow from the tip, and then Anna cried out in pain as fire scourged all of her nerves. Shutting her eyes, she let blackness overcome her, ignoring Snape's ministrations to get her to open her eyes. The last thing she felt was a small hand squeeze hers tightly, but she was too far gone now to go back to Harry. And then Anna lost consciousness.

**Well, I hope you like it! Just want to say thanks to my three reveiwers Moonbade, Martionmanswife and the other unnamed reviewer, and to get you other kind people to review! Please, even 'good' makes me happy, and I'm welcome to suggestions!**


	5. Anna's Lullaby

There was a flash of bright green light, and Harry gasped and flinched away as Vernon's face, and then the rest of him, appeared out of it. The muscular man made a grab for his arm, and Harry flinched away. Vernon's face twisted into a glare, and he punched Harry in the stomach. Harry curled up on the floor, protecting his head from further assaults.

"Harry!" a quiet voice called. Harry frowned. Vernon never used his name. The black and bleak landscape they were in was rapidly shrinking, and Harry smiled briefly as Hedwig appeared, flying in circles around Vernon's head to distract him. A glorious white filled the landscape, and then Harry jumped in surprise as someone touched his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" a quiet voice asked from above him. He looked up, and Anna's worried face came into focus. Harry noted that her eyes were a deep ocean blue, much like Remus'.

"Anna! Are you ok?" he asked worriedly as he lifted his head. He appeared to be lying next to her on the Hospital Wing bed. He must have fallen asleep whilst he waited for her to come round. The Wing itself was deserted apart from them.

"I'll live." She replied quietly. "What about you? Was it a nightmare?"

"I'm ok. I get them a lot."

"Oh, Harry." He felt gentle arms wrap themselves around him, and buried his head in her hair in response, which was lying in loose chestnut waves. He was already starting to recognise her smell – cinnamon and mint, with a hint of fresh air and the smell rain makes on the grass.

"What was your nightmare about?" she asked softly.

"The usual. Vernon beating me, and this weird green light." Anna nodded.

"Well, it's half past nine in the evening, so how about you trying to get some more sleep?"

Harry shivered. "I don't think I can."

"Of course you can. I'm right here, remember. Here, lean against me and shut your eyes."

Obediently, Harry did as she said. She was warm, and her hands stroked his hair as he closed his eyes. He heard someone singing softly to him, and, a small smile gracing his face, drifted off into sleep.

"_Song of the moon,_

_Going up in the sky,_

_Is soft as a feather,_

_Of a lullaby._

_Wings are brooding,_

_Still as a star,_

_Crooning to earth,_

_From high and far._

_Birdlings rest,_

_In their oval shell,_

_Quiet as bronze,_

_Of a silent bell._

_Slumber, my dove,_

_The night is deep,_

_The dark's a dream,_

_And sound asleep._

Anna finished singing, and gently ran her hand through Harry's hair once more before removing his glasses. A soft cough interrupted her and she looked up in shock to see Snape leaning in the doorway. His white shirt reflected the moonlight, casting more shadows on his lined face.

"Oh...you heard."

"I heard." Snape walked quietly into the room and came to stand next to her bed, looking down at her. Blushing, she bowed her head to check Harry's sleeping form. He was curled up against her, head on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to move him to another bed?" Snape asked softly. Surprised, Anna nodded and watched as he leant down and gathered the sleeping boy into his arms. His hand brushed her hair, and she saw a muscle in his cheek twitch as he turned away. He had never struck her as the fatherly type, but now, watching his expression as he gently lowered Harry onto a bed opposite her and tucked him in, she had to conclude that his face mirrored just that. Silently, he moved back to stand next to her.

"Does the curse mark hurt?"

"A bit." Anna admitted softly. Frowning, he picked up a jar of salve and carefully pulled down the covers to inspect the mark. The red and white swelling had gone, but her skin was still black and bruised purple. She winced slightly as he gently applied the salve with practised fingers, and had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out as a small shot of fire echoed up her spine.

"You sing well." Snape admitted quietly, almost inpercieveably. Anna caught it, and blushed.

"My mother taught me just before she...died. I'm nowhere as good as her."

"What was the lullaby called?" Snape asked, genuine interest sparking in his eyes as he sat back.

"Song of the moon."

"Ironic." He muttered quietly, glancing out of the window. Anna looked as well. It was still just past half moon, and she smiled in relief.

"Speaking of moons, would the Wolfsbane potion work on you, Miss Lupin?" Snape asked curiously. Anna frowned.

"I'm not sure... and please, call me Anna. I hate 'Miss Lupin.' It reminds me of my time at school, even if I am technically at school."

"Very well, Anna." Snape said slowly, almost as if he were trying out the sound of her name. "Is it ok if I leave a vial of potion with you next full moon?"

"Yes, Professor, feel free. I'll get Harry to record the effects – he seems to be determined to look after me."

"He has his mother's eyes." Snape whispered softly. Anna nodded.

"And her nature. He has a way with animals, just like Lily did, and he's fiercely protective, just like Lily was."

"I assumed, from most reports, that he would be a carbon copy of his father."

"In looks only. And perhaps a slight obstinate nature – but then again, Lily had an obstinate nature and I don't know him well enough yet to judge." Discretely, she hid a yawn behind her hand, but Snape, ever the all-knowing and all-seeing, caught it.

"You are tired." It wasn't a question.

"A little. I'm not sure how well I'll sleep sitting up, though. It hurts to lie down."

"Does it hurt to try to lie down, or to actually be lying down?" Snape asked, worry sparking in the black eyes.

"To try to lie down." She murmured. He got up, and moved to the head of the bed. Anna felt his hands slip behind her back and support her, and couldn't help a small shiver as his warm hands touched cool bare skin. He lifted her and supported her into a lying down position.

"Better?" he asked softly, sitting next to her.

"Much, thanks Professor." She smiled into the black pools that held and almost tangible warmth. He nodded, and Anna felt his hands brush through her hair as he withdrew them.

"Sleep well, Anna." He said gently, standing.

"And you, Professor." She replied, shutting her eyes. He didn't move away, so she re-opened them to see him gazing out of the window.

"Don't call me Professor." He murmured, turning back. "Call me Severus." Dark eyes looked down into hers briefly, before he turned to walk away.

"Goodnight, Severus." Anna lapsed into sleep, unaware that he had heard her and had paused in the doorway to look back on the two sleeping figures. Had she been awake, she would have seen a small flash of bewilderment in the black eyes, followed by warmth. She would have seen him shake his head, trying to draw his eyes away from her face, and then start, as if aware of an audience and disappear down the corridor. The moonlit image and Anna's singing would haunt him long after he had shut himself in her rooms and retired to bed. That her lullaby would come to be known in his head as Anna's Lullaby, and that the memory would bring him release and peace from the most excruciating pain, he had no idea.

**Well, aren't you lucky? Two chapters in one day! But this means that for the next week, you won't hear anything from me.**

**Thanks to my wonderful reviewers – wolf970, ILikeComps, and Jessierose85 **


	6. Emerald Eyes

_***Flashback***_

_A fifteen year old Anna sat under the spreading boughs of an oak tree, singing softly as she looked out across the calm waters of the lake. Everything was peaceful, as most students were on the other side, basking in the sunlight. A muffled sob came from behind her, and she looked round to see Lily there, emerald eyes filled with tears, fiery curls awry._

"_Lily! What's the matter?" Anna wrapped a warm arm around the inconsolable girl as she sat next to her, rocking her gently. Across the lake, she could see figures yelling._

"_It's Sev." Lily sobbed. Sighing, Anna brushed the hair away from her tear-stained face._

"_What has he done?"_

_Lily sniffed. "Anna, when it's the full moon how do you cope with knowing that Remus is...well, a werewolf, and that he could seriously injure himself, and that you couldn't do anything? 'Cause you're twins, it must be so hard..."_

_Accepting the change of subject and aware that Lily needed consoling, Anna pondered whether to let Lily know her secret. "Lils, generally I don't have much time for worrying. Being a half-werewolf and in close proximity to Remus, I basically experience his pain of transformations. So I'm kept busy by that, whilst Remus keeps himself from harming himself."_

_Lily's mouth hung slightly open, although tears still dribbled down her cheeks. "You're a half werewolf? Where do you go at the full moon, then?"_

"_Dumbledore's study. He doesn't mind that much – rather, he places silencing charms around me. I guess it must be a little distracting to watch, though. I'm no danger, it's just disturbing. Now then, are you ready to tell me why you're sad and what Severus has done?"_

_Lily shook her head, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. Anna pulled her closer, and rocking her gently backwards and forwards, began singing her lullaby. Gradually, Lily calmed down until she was leaning against Anna's shoulder._

"_Black and Potter suspended Sev in mid-air – you know, that horrid spell that's going around at the moment. I tried to help, and Sec called me a m-m-mudblood."_

_Anna frowned, and looked back across the lake. She could make out two solitary figures standing there, but there was no sign of Severus._

"_Perhaps he didn't mean it, Lils. People often say things they don't mean when they're humiliated, angry or stressed. Severus was all of those."_

"_But he looked like he meant it, Anna. His face..."_

"_Lils, you and Severus have been friends for what...six years? He wouldn't just turn on you."_

"_But he's been working in the Dark Arts, hasn't he? He's grown really distant – he's not the Severus I met in the park at home."_

_Anna sighed softly. "Give him a chance to apologize, Lils. Speaking of which, where is Mary and everyone?"_

"_I gave them the slip. They're good friends, but you're the best. And you understand." Lily said sheepishly._

"_Thanks, Lils." she smiled. Lily settled down against her shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. Anna began to sing again, feeling Lily relax until her breathing was steady. She knew from experience that everything was better after you had slept. A soft cough interrupted her, and she looked up in surprise to see Professor McGonagall staring down at her, an unreadable expression on her face._

"_Sorry, Professor, but she was sad, and tired...things always look better after you've slept."_

"_Indeed. I am to assume Miss Evans was involved in the fight that took place earlier, then?"_

"_I'm afraid she took rather a key part, Professor."_

"_I shall ask her point of view when she wakes, but for now I think it best that you carry her back to the castle. Is there anywhere she can sleep without being disturbed?"_

"_She can sleep in my chambers, Professor. I share with Remus, but he won't mind."_

"_Will you be able to carry her?" Professor McGonagall asked curiously. Anna smiled wanly._

"_Being a half-werewolf has its bonus'."_

_Carefully, she picked up the sleeping girl and supported her back to the castle. They passed crowds of staring students, who pointed and murmured. They passed James Potter and Sirius Black, who looked up in worry._

"_Black, Potter, my office now. Mr Lupin, could you please fetch Mr Snape?"_

"_Of course, Professor." Remus sent her a grateful look before disappearing off. _

"_Miss Lupin, I wish for you to administer the punishment to Mr Black and Mr Potter." Professor McGonagall said covertly. Anna nodded seriously, eyes sparkling._

"_My pleasure." She said venomously._

* * *

_Anna strode into the Great Hall, hair loose, robes flapping. Students turned to stare as she passed, and a muttering broke out in her wake. She could see the Slytherin table smirking, and sent them one of her special glares._

"_Black, Potter, you are __**so **__dead!" she yelled. At the Gryffindor table, both stood slowly, utter fright etched across their faces. Anna knew that she was scary when she was angry – which was very, very rarely._

"_What possessed you two to do such a stupidly idiotic thing? Because of your actions, Lily is now asleep in my rooms after having cried herself to that level." She stopped right next to them. Regardless of the fact that both were taller than her, she glared up at them anyway. James took a step back._

"_Umm...Anna, cool it, your eyes are orange."_

"_I don't bloody care in this moment in time. What do you have to say for yourself?"_

"_Umm..."_

"_You utter..." Anna took a deep breath. "You disgust me, James Potter." _

_Turning to Black, she launched her tirade at him as well. The rest of the students, and the teachers, were watching goggle-eyed. All had gasped when she had mentioned Lily's condition, and Anna was satisfied that both would receive a lot of glares over the coming weeks._

"_And you, Sirius Black. All because you were bored. You immature prat. You don't tend to think that much, do you? Do you even care that what you did has affected Lily's friendship with one of her dearest friends?"_

"_Of course I care!" Sirius shot back. Anna rounded fully on him and he too took a step back. _

"_Explain, then, how your utterly idiotic and selfish actions were justified."_

"_I guess they weren't." Black admitted. "I didn't know that James was going to do that to Snape, though." He shot a sideways glance at Potter, who was nodding. The fact that he had admitted that he was wrong had cooled her slightly._

"_**Fine. **__Listen carefully, both of you. When Lily feels able to return to school life, I want both of you slaving away at her feet, begging for forgiveness. What you did was utterly inexcusable, and if you were my friends I would never have forgiven you. Both of you know I very rarely get this angry, so for me to be this angry you can tell how much your actions have angered me."_

_She spun around to face the rest of the hall. "I cannot instruct the rest of you to do anything – all I can do is to ask that none of you are insensitive to Lily when she comes back, and that you all rally round her." Tossing her hair over one shoulder, she marched to the door. Leaning in the shadows was one Severus Snape, his face shocked, eyes wide. Softly, so no one else could hear, she admonished him._

_**A small scolding and ray of hope given to Severus Snape by Anna Lupin;**_

"_Severus, I have only known you for five years, but what I have been told by Lily and what I have seen myself has led me to believe you are a good person. What you said to Lily at the lake was utterly inexcusable, and the most disgusting thing you could have said to her. She was heartbroken by what you said, and thought that you wished to break off your friendship._

_I suggest that if you wish to salvage any of your previous relationship, you come to my rooms later and apologize to her privately and personally. She needs you, Severus. You need her, without a doubt, but she also needs you. I leave the last choice to you, but I personally wish to believe that what you said was just in the heat of the moment."_

_Finishing her soft speech, Anna swept away, leaving him standing in the doorway staring after her. She left James and Sirius standing foolishly in the hall, amidst a large amount of disgusted, angry and also surprised students. She did not overhear the conversation between McGonagall and Dumbledore as they gazed out of the door after her._

_**A conversation between Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall concerning Anna Lupin;**_

"_I couldn't have done it better myself. Interesting, isn't it, that Anna was so protective of Severus and Lily? What do you think, Albus?"_

"_I think that, although she is only half werewolf, Anna has inherited the fiery temper and also the fierce protectiveness. I think she sees them as cubs – Lily is her best friend, and Severus is vulnerable. You are right, however. Congratulations on your idea of letting her handle the situation, by the way. She is skilled at making people repent."_

* * *

"Anna, what did my mum look like?" Harry asked curiously. They were walking down the corridor on their way to the Gryffindor Common room, because Anna had promised to give him a tour of the castle whilst most people were away. He watched as she thoughtfully stared into the distance. Embarrassed, he hid his face by looking at a rather unremarkable portrait of a pair of sorcerers with flowing white beards who were snoozing in a glade. It had taken him a while to get used to the fact that the portraits in the magical world moved, and he still jumped if one talked to him.

"Did your aunt not have any pictures of Lily, Harry?" Anna stopped to kneel next to him, looking across. He liked how she lowered herself to his height, so that they felt like equals.

"No. Aunt Petunia never mentioned her, or my dad. Well, she did once but she called mum 'her.'"

Anna sighed, standing up again. "Come with me, Harry. Descriptions are always better when you sit down." Quickly, she led him across the corridor onto a small balcony and sat on the edge, swinging her legs into space. Harry copied her, gazing out towards the mountains.

"Your mother's name was Lily, and she was my best friend. She had fiery red hair which she often wore in a ponytail, and pale skin. Oh, and of course, the famous emerald green eyes which you inherited."

"What was she like? Was she clever?"

"Yes, she was very clever – she came top at practically everything. And I think I can honestly say she was the sweetest-tempered person I have ever met in my life, which perhaps the possible exception of you, Harry. Yes, everyone loved Lily."

In his mind's eye, Harry spun a face from what Anna had told him. To his surprise, he found he could actually vaguely remember Lily's face.

"Here. It's a picture of your mum and I in third grade." Anna had been rummaging about in her shirt pocket, and now held out a small photo. Harry took it reverently and gazed down. Two beaming girls waved out at him from under the boughs of an oak tree.

"Lily is on the right." Anna pointed to the girl dressed in a navy jumper and jeans with, as she had said, long, flaming red hair that was blowing loose in the wind. Warm, sparkling green eyes smiled up into him as she pulled a face and hugged the person next to her.

"That's me." Anna said wryly. "Lily was always the prettiest, which I didn't mind much. She attracted a lot of attention, did Lils."

"I think that you were both pretty." Harry said quietly. The younger Anna had very long chestnut curly hair, much like she did now, which fell in a wave to her waist. She was thin, eyes slightly shadowed and surrounded by slight laughter creases. They were a very deep, thoughtful aquamarine blue.

"You can keep the picture, Harry – I didn't realise you had none of your own."

"Thanks, Anna!" Harry hugged her awkwardly, which made her laugh.

"Come on – we have a tour to do!"

Twenty minutes later, after having visited the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms, and having been stopped by two teachers, one Argus Filch, nine portraits and three ghosts (Helena Ravenclaw, Peeves and Nearly Headless Nick) Anna finally led him through the considerably cooler corridors of the dungeons. There was hardly any light, and Harry shivered slightly as he pulled his emerald jumper a little closer around himself. Up ahead in the gloom, a tall, pearly white figure was striding along, his face a mask of sorrow and anger.

"The Bloody Baron." Anna whispered softly. "Just nod to him and follow me. He's the Slytherin ghost." The Baron, his handsome features twisted, passed right by them. True to Anna's instructions, Harry nodded politely without flinching and carried on past the figure.

"Who are you, to enter these corridors?" The Baron asked haughtily. Gently, Anna pulled Harry to her and glared at the foreboding figure.

"I am Anna Lupin, Gryffindor, ex-student and half-werewolf, and this is Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter. You vanquished the one known as Lord Voldemort, did you not?"

Harry was confused. Vanquished _who_? "Umm..."

"He did, Baron. But I believe that these corridors are free for all to walk."

"They are. Leave them alone, Baron." A soft voice said. Harry looked round to see the man with the bottomless black eyes...Professor Snape...standing behind them. The Baron nodded.

"I apologize, head of Slytherin. I was not aware that they were with you." He turned, and drifted straight through the wall without a backwards glance. Professor Snape shook his head exasperatedly.

"Excuse him. He's been a bit like that, recently. Out of interest, what are you doing down here?"

"I'm giving Harry a tour of the castle. He knows where the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Common Rooms are, so I was showing him down here as well. It will make it easier for him to find your potions room, which I know from experience, is a nightmare to find."

"Indeed." Snape nodded. Harry noticed his loose, informal attire and slightly windswept look. "I have just been brewing – in fact, something for you, Harry. Come." He led the way down the corridor to a seemingly blank and mouldy wall, which he placed his hand flat against. A small crack made Harry jump, and watched in amazement as a slightly ajar door appeared.

"Come in. The potion is complete, but I haven't had a chance to clean up." Harry stared, goggle-eyed at the cauldrons bubbling and hissing on the various surfaces in the room. A mass of strange-named ingredients lined the walls and surfaces. The room smelt vaguely familiar, of mint and fire. Professor Snape was hovering around an emerald green potion with a ladle, with which he was spooning the potion into a glass vial. Harry looked around for Anna, and found her inspecting a reddish-golden vial.

"Come over here, Harry." Professor Snape said softly. Obediently, Harry slipped over, careful not to knock anything over. "This is a sight enhancer potion. It will restore your sight to almost perfect so that you won't need glasses."

Hesitantly, Harry took the vial and sipped the potion. He could feel small, hot sparks dancing behind his eyes, which were suddenly doused with a cool rush. It tasted vaguely of thyme.

Carefully, he looked around the room. Everything was blurry, Gentle hands removed his glasses and he found he could see everything in much clearer detail than even when he had his glasses on. To his amazement, he could pick out freckles on Anna's nose and could almost make out the individual leaves on the tree outside.

"Wow!" he grinned, staring this way and that.

"Is it permanent?" Anna asked Professor Snape quietly; who Harry could see out of the corner of his eyes was watching with something akin to amusement.

"Yes, it's permanent."

"Thank you so much!" Harry ran across and surprised both adults by hugging Professor Snape tightly. He felt the man stiffen, and then tentatively hug him back.

"You're welcome, Harry."


	7. Quidditch

Four days later on a sunny afternoon, Anna and Harry were brewing in Snape's Potions Room. After the success with the eyesight potion, Harry had been eager to find out how Severus had improved his eyesight. Rather reluctantly, Severus had agreed to let him brew a first year potion, _provided _he didn't distract the Potions Master, who had nine potions on the go at the same time.

And so it was that Anna sat next to Harry, watching with growing amusement as he carefully sliced herbs and ingredients and added them to his potion. The cast to hold his wrist together had been removed, and he seemed to be making full use of his hand. As he lent over, Anna was reminded of Lily, who had worked exactly like that when she brewed. He seemed to have inherited his mother's skills at potions making.

"Damm and Blast!" Someone swore from behind her. She looked up in surprise to see Snape glaring up at a tiny glass vial filled with a see-through liquid, which was sat alone on the very top potions shelf. Even with his height, Severus couldn't hope to reach it.

"Couldn't you use magic?" she asked softly. Surprised, he turned around to meet her eyes.

"No. The contents are highly resistant to magic, so would rupture if they sensed magical energies around them."

Frowning, Anna looked at the small vial. Snape couldn't reach it, and they couldn't use magic to get it down... she noticed that the shelves were stepped, almost like stairs. A human had no hope of climbing them...but maybe a female wolf did. Although she was an animagus, the vial's contents shouldn't react, as she was part wolf anyway, so it was natural.

Silently, she pulled her hair out of its plait and transformed. In her place sat a chestnut and gray wolf, with deep, fathomless blue eyes and a white streak on her forehead. Flicking her tail, she padded over to Snape, who hadn't noticed a thing, and nudged his leg with her nose. He almost jumped, and glanced down.

"Anna?"

She dipped her head in response, and leapt up into the desk. Carefully, she climbed onto the first shelf, and then clambered over the others to reach the small vial. Softening her mouth, she picked it up, noting the name. _Ptolemy? Why was Snape using Ptolemy, a highly poisonous ingredient, in brewing? _Steeling herself, she leapt back down from the shelf to land lightly on the desk next to Snape, who had watched the escapade in amusement. Bowing her head, she placed the vial onto the desk, and then sat, tilting her head at him. It was a good thing female animagus wolves were about the same size as a large fox, or else she would have fallen off.

"Your animagus form is a wolf. Of course." Snape reached over and stroked her coat once before adding the Ptolemy. His hands were gentle. She lay down, resting her head on the desk.

"You are rather an undersized wolf, however." He added, smirking. Anna sent him a wolf glare, and turned back so that her legs were dangling over the edge of the desk.

"Actually, I'm not. Animagus wolves are usually this size. I'm only unusual in that my eyes stay blue instead of turning black."

"Point taken." Snape scowled as he stirred the potion. Anna frowned, and was about to snap something when Harry interrupted them.

"Anna, I think I'm done." Smiling slightly, annoyance forgotten, Anna slipped over to stare down into Harry's potion. For a hovering potion, it was amazing, practically perfect – even more so seeing as he was nine years old.

"Wow, Harry. You're a better brewer than me!"

"Thanks, Anna." Harry blushed slightly, and then a slight cough interrupted them. Snape had taken a ladle of Harry's potion, and to her amazement Anna could see a faint smile on his lips.

"It's very well done, Harry. You seem to have inherited your mother's skills at Potions." Anna's mouth dropped open as Harry beamed and began ladling it into a vial. Snape, smirking slightly, drifted back across the room to sort out one of the other potions, which was bubbling.

"I do give compliments sometimes, you know."

"I nearly had a heart attack!" she teased. Mock-scowling, he flicked the ladle of engorging potion at her, and out of habit she leapt out of the way and transformed into a wolf, bounding up onto the desk where she quickly changed back.

"Why did you take your hair out when you transformed?" Snape asked curiously, turning to lean on the desk facing her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Usually, if I transform a lot, which happens as its habit for me, my hair will fly out of a plait and usually hit someone in the face – it's rather heavy."

They were interrupted by a soft cough from the door. Of all people, Molly Weasley stood, arms folded, in the doorway staring across the room.

"Anna! And Severus. How are you, both?"

"I'm well, Molly, thanks." Anna said politely as Severus muttered, "Fine," under his breath.

"And this must be Harry Potter!" Molly exclaimed as she spotted Harry, head buried in the Potions book. He looked up, and gave her a shy smile.

"Ron has been desperate to meet you." Molly said enthusiastically. Anna nodded, coming to Harry's rescue.

"Well, Harry needs to finish brewing here first, and then we're having dinner in the Great Hall, so I expect Ron will see him then. Is the whole family here?"

"Oh yes, Arthur is on leave so I thought we'd drop by. Fred and George didn't seem too keen to be back in school, but there you go. And is Remus here?"

"Yes, although I haven't seen him in a while. I think he's helping Hagrid." She lied. Molly nodded eagerly.

"Well, I'll see you at dinner." She called merrily before disappearing out of the door. As soon as she had gone, Anna let out her breath.

"Sorry." She apologised to Snape.

"Not at all. Actually, thanks. If she's left alone with me too long, she starts deploring my health state."

"And me." Anna scowled. Harry tugged her sleeve, and she smiled down at him.

"Will you be there for dinner?" he asked nervously.

"Of course, Harry."

"Good." He said quietly.

Harry frowned warily as he followed Anna into the Great Hall. Everything was as normal, with the exception of a large number of red-heads who were sat gossiping loudly at various intervals around the table. The youngest, a girl with a sensitive face, large brown eyes and tumbling red curls, looked up and stared.

"It's _Harry Potter_!"

At once, most of the red-heads stopped what they were doing and turned to gaze. Harry shifted uncomfortably, and he felt Anna take his hand. Two of the red-heads, identical twins with identical mischievous smiles, moved up to make room for him. Out of all of the red heads, they were the only ones who hadn't stared at him in awe as he walked in.

"I'm Fred..." One of them held out his hand, which Harry shook, reassured.

"...and I'm George." The other continued, grinning.

"You'll have to excuse Mum..."

"...she's been excited about meeting you for ages..."

"...Ginny didn't mean any harm..."

"...she was just surprised."

"Who're you staying with?" Fred asked curiously. Harry smiled.

"Anna. She brought me here from the Dursleys...my uncle and aunt's."

"Cool. She's great, Anna is..."

"...got us out of lots of scrapes..."

"...like that one at Easter..."

"...that was _your _idea, Fred..."

"...it worked, though..."

Harry laughed at the twin's habit of finishing off each other's sentences. "What did you do?" he asked interestedly.

"Let off a dungbomb under Mum's chair..."

"...she was furious..."

"...said that none of our brothers had ever done that..."

"...threatened to make us clean the whole house and de-gnome the garden..."

"...Anna saved us from certain death!"

Harry giggled. He liked the twins – their weird way of speaking and how friendly they were.

"How many brothers have you got?" he asked curiously, trying to count.

"Four..."

"The eldest's Bill – the one over there with the slightly lighter hair and tanned skin..."

"...he works at Grigotts, curse-breaking."

"What's Grigotts?" Harry asked quietly. He hated seeming stupid – not knowing anything about the magical world.

"The Wizard's Bank. It's run by goblins – you wouldn't want to try and break in. Massive double doors, made of marble." Fred supplied. Harry nodded. He could remember briefly seeing a pair of gigantic wooden doors at the entrance to a white building in Diagon Alley, with various people hanging around outside.

"Who's the next oldest?"

"That'd be Charlie..."

"...the one sitting next to Professor Flitwick with the cropped hair and burns..."

"...he works with Dragons."

"Wow!" Harry gasped, staring across at Charlie.

"I know..."

"...mum thought he was mad..."

"...anyway, then its Percy..."

"...he's two years above us..."

"...the one with the green-rimmed spectacles..." Harry spotted Percy, who was gesturing about something wildly to another red-head, a rather pompous expression on his face.

"Then it's us..."

"...we're in first year now..."

"...we'll be third years when you start..."

"...then it's Ronnikins – sorry, Ron..."

"...he's the same age as you. Over there, talking to mum..." Ron was scowling grumpily as he talked to his mother. As Harry looked across, Ron looked up and caught his eye. To his surprise, Ron glared at him before turning away.

"Don't mind him – he's always like that." George said bracingly.

"Then it's Ginny..."

"...she's a year younger than you."

"You're so lucky to have so many siblings!" Harry said enviously. He couldn't imagine life with three older brothers and a younger brother and sister.

"Nah..."

"...besides, Bill and Charlie are usually away..."

"...it's never quiet, though."

Their conversation was halted by the entrance of Professor Snape, who swept in, scowling. Fred and George sent him a glare.

"Don't glare at him. He's not that bad. He healed me when I was hurt, and let me brew potions in his room." Harry defended the sarky professor. Fred and George nodded, and the three watched as he leant over Anna's shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Anna nodded, frowning, and got up to walk over.

"Harry, there's a problem in Diagon Alley and I'm needed there. Will you be ok until I get back?"

"How long will you be?" Harry asked.

"Two, three hours maximum." Anna smiled. Fred wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Anna..."

"...we'll look after him..."

"...is it ok if we take him flying...?"

"We'll stay on the pitch." George added quickly.

"Hmm...alright. He can borrow one of the spare brooms. But please, don't use the bludgers...bewitch tennis balls or something."

"Yes, Anna." Fred and George chorused, grinning. Shaking her head, Anna hugged Harry fleetingly and then strode out of the room.

"Sorry, we didn't even ask if you wanted to play!" George slapped his forehead. Harry smiled.

"I'd love to. But I've never been on a broom. Won't I just slow you down?"

"No, come on..."

"...Charlie says your dad was a legend at flying, apparently..."

"...so you'll be a natural!"

They dragged Harry out of the doors and through the castle, waving cheerily at Peeves as they passed. Once onto the Quidditch pitch, Fred disappeared into a cupboard and returned with a broom.

"It's a Nimbus 2000 – the school's spare one. Here, watch me..." he laid his own broom on the floor, and held his hand above it. "Up!" The broom shot into his hand, vibrating slightly.

"Here, you try." George sent him an encouraging smile. Nervously, Harry laid the broom on the floor next to his feet, and held his hand above it.

"Up!" The broom shot into his hand, and Harry grinned as Fred whooped.

"You're a natural!" A quiet voice said from behind them. The three boys spun around to see Charlie leaning against the stands, smiling. "How about you try flying, now?"

"Right, Harry, you get on your broom like this..." George demonstrated, getting onto his own broom. Harry copied him.

"Now, kick off from the floor. It's ok – George'll be in the air with you as well." Fred pointed to George, who shot twenty feet into the air to hover over the stands. Taking a deep breath, Harry kicked off, whooping as the wind whistled through his hair. About thirty feet up, he stopped, looking around in surprise.

"Amazing!" George was hovering next to him, grinning. A scarlet blur and a blue blur shot past them, and Harry looked up to see Charlie and Fred racing each other towards them. They screeched to a halt, both heartily congratulating Harry on his ascent.

"Right...Harry, I want you to urge to broom forwards, and then try to fly to the left." Charlie instructed. Harry nodded, and then flew off, grinning as he turned the broom in a perfect right angle to the left and then flew back to the three cheering Weasley boys.

"Here, Charlie, we could have a match..."

"...yeah, bags Harry as Seeker for our team..."

Charlie grinned. "That's a good idea... but I'm not sure we have enough people."

"Look down." Fred laughed. Looking below him, Harry saw Ron, Ginny, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Remus, Bill, Percy, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall all staring up.

"Looks like our little escapade attracted some attention." George grinned, flying down to the ground. Harry, Charlie and Fred quickly followed, all three screeching to a halt on the grass.

"Fred just suggested a match." Charlie informed the watching group. "He and George'll be beaters, and Harry's their Seeker. I'll be Keeper, so who wants to be Chaser?"

"I will!" Ginny smiled and ran off to get her broom, which was propped up against a wall.

"I'll be Keeper for the opposite team." Remus offered.

"Chaser." Bill smiled.

"Seeker." Ron said arrogantly.

"I'll be one beater." Mr Weasley offered, smiling. "But we need another."

"C'mon, Perce." George pleaded. Percy frowned, but nodded.

"Very well."

"Who'll be ref?" Remus asked.

"I will." Professor McGonagall said. Harry nodded.

"Right, well, what's our team going to be called?" Fred, George and Charlie asked, as the other team huddled up. Harry glanced at Ginny.

"How about Gryffindor...something?" she asked.

"Nah, you and Harry aren't sorted yet." Charlie told her.

"What about the Dynamic Dynamos?" George suggested.

"All in favour?" Fred asked. Harry put his hand up, as did Ginny and Charlie.

"All against? That's settled, then. The Dynamic Dynamos it is!"

"What is your team name, please, Charlie?" Professor McGonagall was stood behind them.

"The Dynamic Dynamos!" Fred and George chorused.

"Very well...could your team make your way to the other side of the pitch? We'll be using bewitched tennis balls."

Harry followed the others as they trouped to the other side. There, he copied them as they mounted their brooms.

"Do you know how to play?" Ginny asked him quietly.

"Yes, Remus explained. But, I'm the Seeker, right? Do I have to catch the snitch?"

"Yeah, that's the idea. Ron will be trying as well, and whoever catches the snitch wins the match for their team."

Harry nodded, excitement bubbling in his stomach as Professor Flitwick blew a whistle.

"The Snitch has been released. Will the opposite team captains please shake hands?" Remus and Charlie shook hands warmly, grinning, and then walked back to their respective teams, mounting their brooms.

"On the count of three...one...two...three!" Harry kicked off hard, whooshing high up into the air. Two blurs shot past him as Ginny swerved past, clutching the Quaffle. He could see Charlie hovering in front of the large metal rings, smiling as he watched Ginny duck and dive. Fred shot past, clutching a large wooden bat, and swung it at a green blur that was speeding in Harry's direction. With a loud crack, the blur rocketed off in another direction.

"Keep looking, Harry!" he called, before diving down to intercept a yellow blur making its way towards Ginny. Shaking his head, he stared around, looking for a glimpse of gold. Ron was about twenty feet away, also gazing around. Harry looked down, just as a flash of gold shot past his ear. He wrenched the broom around to follow it, noticing that Ron followed his every move. The gold vanished, but Harry decided to trick Ron. Pretending he could still see the snitch, he dived downwards.

"_And Harry has seen the Snitch, speeding towards the floor...oh, he hasn't, good feint there by the Dynamic Dynamos Seeker!"_ Professor McGonagall commented as Harry pulled out of the dive, shooting off into the opposite direction. He could hear Ron cursing loudly behind him, and flew off to the other side of the pitch to continue his surveillance. He spotted Ginny, who was floating next to the three opposite hoops, Remus hovering in front of them.

"_Ginny is going for a hoop...score! Ten points to the Dynamic Dynamos!"_

Harry whooped, grinning as Ginny punched the air. To his surprise, he caught a spark of gold next to Charlie's shoulder. The Snitch was floating not ten feet from him as Harry dived downwards, silently thanking Professor Snape for his improved vision. A sudden thump threw him sideways in the air, spinning over and over. He held tight to the broom, and after righting himself, rubbed his ribs as he looked around.

"You alright, Harry?" Charlie called, worried.

"Yes. What...?" Harry was cut off by Professor McGonagall. "_Foul by the Magnificent Five's Seeker against the Dynamic Dynamos Seeker! Penalty to the Dynamic Dynamos!"_

"Ron crashed into you." Fred informed him quietly as he flew past. "Watch out for him." Nodding, Harry flew back up above the pitch again, smiling as Professor McGonagall proclaimed,

"_Score by the Dynamic Dynamos Chaser! Twenty-Zero to the Dynamic Dynamos!"_

Frowning, he looked around. The snitch seemed to have vanished again. He flew around and around, looking this way and that, but saw no trace. Sighing as the opposite team scored, equalising them, he was about to loop the centre for the third time when he caught a flash of gold. The Snitch was hovering three feet off the ground. He looked about. Ron was still across the other side, looking in the opposite direction. Taking a deep breath, Harry wrenched the broom front down.

"_Score by the Magnificent Five – Thirty Thirty...and the Dynamic Dynamos Seeker has seen the Snitch...Harry, be careful!" _The wind ruffled his hair as the ground spiralled nearer and nearer. The stands and sky blurred by, as did the various players as they got out of his way. Behind him, he heard Ron pull out, shouting. He trailed one hand towards the floor, pulling the broom up with the other. His fingers closed around the small metal ball as he shot back up again, hand raised triumphantly. The Snitch's wings fluttered weakly before stilling.

"_Harry has caught the snitch! So the Dynamic Dynamos win, one hundred and eighty to thirty!"_ Professor McGonagall called. Harry cheered, and then was clapped on the back by Fred and George. Charlie shook his hand, smiling, and Ginny gave him the thumbs up. He felt on top of the world.

"Hey, look, there's Anna!" Remus was pointing down to the ground, where a chestnut-haired figure stood leaning against the stands, talking to Professor Snape. Harry shot down, landing bumpily and then ran across to her. She turned around at his approach, laughing.

"I caught the snitch, did you see?" he asked, as she hugged him tightly.

"I saw. That was an amazing dive, Harry."

"It was. Eighty feet, and he didn't even scrape himself!" Professor McGonagall was stood behind them, smiling. "If you were only school age, I'd have you on the team by now!"

"Well, it is only just under two years now." Anna acknowladged, grinning.

"Well done, Harry." Professor Snape congratulated him quietly. He beamed up at the tall man, before whirling around as Remus landed next to them.

"Well played, Harry. Is everything alright, Anna?" The excitement temporarily gone, Harry looked up at Anna. She was smiling.

"Fine – I wasn't even scratched. Dolohov and Bellatrix are now in Azkaban."

Remus nodded, satisfied, and with a cheery wave to the Weasleys (Fred, George, Ginny and Charlie all waved back, Ron still scowling angrily) the group made their way back up to the castle.

**A/N : Thanks to my wonderful reviewers – Adenoide, for their suggestions, Harry Potter Fan 27 for their support and praise and also for pointing out that in Anna's letter to Remus, she said for the sake of **_**Lily's **_**son, not Lily and James'. **

**Anna always had a closer relationship with Lily than James, who from the flashback you may have gathered she didn't like very much. Also, it was Lily who chose Anna to be godmother, not James. However, the main reason she said Lily's son was because by bringing up the memory of Lily, she was reminding Remus of the fact that **_**Lily **_**had wished **_**him **_**to be second godfather, and landing himself in Azkaban wouldn't help. If she had said to think of James, Remus may have gone to the Dursleys anyway, because it was the sort of think James would do (not necessarily a bad thing) **

**Sorry if the letter sounds a little impersonal, but she was writing quickly and she was in shock, so as for telling Remus to do nothing rash, I know that Remus doesn't get angry often, but this would spark one of the times that he would.**__


	8. The Prelude

Harry frowned sleepily. Someone was shaking his shoulder, dispelling his dream. He tried to clutch at the foggy traces, but eventually opened his eyes.

"Harry. _Harry_."

He blinked. It was still dark in his room, moonlight streaming in through the window. The curtains flapped in the breeze. The battered pocket watch Anna had lent him read 00:30. Half past _midnight_?

"Anna? Are you ok? What's happened? Is anything wrong? Where did you go, earlier?" He sat bolt upright in bed worriedly. Anna smiled from where she was crouched next to him.

"Nothing's wrong. Tell me, Harry, what's the date now?"

"Friday 31st July..." Harry screwed up his face in confusion. It was also his birthday, but Uncle Vernon had said that his birthday wasn't important. This rather begged the question why Anna had asked.

"And what else is happening today, Harry?" Anna frowned at him.

"But Uncle Vernon said my birthday wasn't important!" Harry burst out, and then clapped a hand across his mouth. Anna sighed and got up so that she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Harry, your birthday is _extremely _important. Especially your tenth one, because on your tenth birthday all the money your parents left for you becomes available."

"My parents left me _money_?"

"Good god, yes, Harry. You're extremely well off." Harry stared at her. She was grinning, eyes sparkling as she brushed a stray strand of hair off his forehead. "So, we need to go to Gringotts in twenty minutes, to sort out your account. However, I want to give you my birthday present first."

Excited, Harry wriggled until he was sat up properly straight, leant partially against the bed head. Anna reached behind her and pulled out a piece of paper. Confused, Harry took it from her, and then beamed.

Ministry of Magic

_31__st__ July 1989_

_It is hereby certified that_

**Harry James Potter**

_child of the deceased parents __**Lily Potter nee Evans and James Potter**_

_is officially adopted by_

**Annoushka Despinia Lupin**

_**Deputy Head of the Auror Office**_

and

**-Nil-**

_And shall henceforth be under the care and guardianship of this adult until further notice is given. We at the Adoption Office wish you all the best and happiness for the future._

_**Anita Jones, Head of the Adoption Office**_

"So does that mean I'm officially your son now?" Harry asked, looking across at her.

"Pretty much." Anna pulled him into a warm hug, surrounding him with her familiar scent of cinnamon and mint. He sighed softly, and she pulled back.

"Do I have to call you mum?"

"No, Anna will do, unless you want to." She laughed. "Go and get changed. We have some meetings to attend!"

"Yes, Anna!" he grinned, jumping out of bed.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Harry stood in front of the large wooden doors of Gringotts, tightly clutching Anna's hand. Without his glasses and lit up at night, they were even more spectacular. Lifting a hand, Anna knocked three times.

"Yes? Aah, Harry Potter. Yes, yes, come in. You are his guardian?" The wizened, green robed creature, which from Fred's description Harry assumed was a goblin, asked Anna as he led them into the main hall. Harry gasped as he saw a massive expanse of wooden desks and burgundy red carpet, framed by towering marble pillars reaching up to a beautiful domed ceiling. Flickering torches lit the walls as robed goblins hurried to and fro seriously.

"Yes. I have the official paper for the Administrator." Anna replied, to which the goblin nodded, satisfied.

"We will proceed to the office, then. I am to assume it is only the two of you?"

"Only the two of us, although I was made aware that Bill Weasley would be witness?"

"That is correct. If you would follow me?" The goblin led them into a series of winding corridors, made of dull grey stone and lit by periodic torches. Harry shivered, and to take his mind off the darkness turned to Anna.

"Why is Bill Weasley the witness?" Surprisingly, it was the goblin who answered.

"Mr Weasley is one of the few Wizard employees who is trusted by both goblins and wizards, therefore his account is likely to be believed. He also is the only wizard employee who works this late."

They walked through a small doorway into an amazing room. Moonlight illuminated the almost completely wood-coloured walls, dancing on the rich navy carpet. Every surface save for two desks were covered in boxes of various shapes, sizes and ornateness. One wall was completely coated in drawers. A white-haired goblin wearing a purple robe sat at one of the desks, writing furiously.

"Mr Weasley and the Administrator will be along shortly." The goblin bowed and left them, the only noise the scratching of the goblin's quill.

"Nervous?" Anna squeezed his hand gently. Biting his lip, Harry nodded. A small click came from the other side of the room, and a door Harry hadn't noticed previously swung open. Bill Weasley stooped to get in, smiling warmly at Harry as he leant against the wall. Like the goblins, he wore robes, although his were black. A second figure strode in, white hair flowing over deep maroon robes, and the goblin at the desk leapt up to bow.

"I am the Administror." The wizard's voice was quiet as he steepled his long, bony fingers, regarding Harry over them. "You are Harry Potter, son of the deceased Lily and James Potter?"

"Yes." Harry whispered. Anna laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. The wizard smiled.

"Do not be afraid, Mr Potter. Now, your guardian and adopted mother is Annoushka Lupin, I presume? Could I see the paper, Miss Lupin?"

"Of course, sir." Anna replied politely, handing him Harry's adoption paper. The wizard rummaged around in his draw and pulled out a pair of silver glasses, which he placed on his nose as he contemplatively scanned the paper.

"Yes, everything is in order. Annoushka is an unusual name, Miss Lupin, if you don't mind me saying."

"I am a quarter Russian." Anna replied softly, taking the paper back from him. He nodded, clapping his hands.

"Oroitz, the key, please. Mr Weasley, if you could sign here you are free to leave."

"If it is all the same to you, your honour, may I wait beyond the room? I wish to give Harry a gift from my family." Bill asked politely, writing his name in looping handwriting on the parchment the wizard pushed forwards. The wizard nodded imperiously, and with a final smile to Harry Bill strode from the room. The goblin – Oroitz – was perched precariously on a step ladder, rifling through a high-up draw.

"Your honour, Harry Potter's key is in the golden safe."

"Of course, of course. Your parents wished your key to be carefully protected, Mr Potter." The Administrator reached into his pocket and pulled out a bulging key ring. Selecting a thin, undecorated key, he slotted it into the tiny, golden safe in the corner. With a click, the lock turned and the lid opened.

"Your key, Mr Potter."

Carefully, Harry reached into the safe. His fingertips brushed the golden key in the bottom, and a small crack sounded as he lifted it out. A piece of paper fluttered down from the ceiling, which the Administrator caught one-handedly.

"A letter for you, Mr Potter, from your mother. Do not read it here." He handed the paper to Harry, who clutched it tight, hand shaking. "Now, if you could sign here, our business is complete."

Anna leant over and carefully penned in her name. Harry grinned as she winked at him before writing _Anna _instead of Annoushka. He took the pen from her, and carefully wrote _Harry Potter. _

"Your writing is like Lily's, Harry." Anna smiled at him as they nodded to the Administrator and exited the room. Bill was leant against the wall outside, humming tunelessly.

"Aah, Harry, Anna. Here, I'll take you back." He led them back through the corridors, black robe flapping in the sudden breeze. Emerging back into the main hall, he stopped and knelt to Harry's level.

"It's a tenth birthday present from the whole family. I'm sure Fred and George have slipped something extra in from them – you never know. Oh, and Charlie and I decided to give you this." He reached around his neck, and pulled out a small pouch.

"It's a mokeskin pouch. It will only open for the owner – therefore, it will only open for you. You can keep all your valuables in it. Charlie got it from Romania, and I charmed your initials on."

"Thank you!" Harry grinned, hugging him. Bill was evidently surprised, but hugged him back.

"You're welcome, Harry. Right, I need to be off now – where are you off to?"

"The Ministry. We have a meeting with Moody and Cornelius." Anna replied for him. Bill frowned.

"The Minister?"

"Mmm. Can we use the floo?"

"Of course. Through here." Bill led them into a small room, completely empty apart from a fireplace. He took a small pot from his pocket, and opened it, offering it to Anna.

"Thanks, Bill. I should really carry some around myself. Give my love to Molly, won't you?"

"Of course." Bill watched as Anna took Harry's hand, leading him into the fire.

"Ministry of Magic!" Harry waved back at Bill, who grinned before Harry was whirled away in the crackling flames. He landed in a large, shadowy emporium, and Anna gently helped him to his feet.

"Let's sort this Mokeskin pouch out, shall we?" she knelt to his level, and took it from him, adjusting the strap so that it hung around his neck. It was warm, almost furry.

"Could you put my letter from mum and key in there?" he asked her shyly. She smiled, taking them from him and tucking them into the pouch. There was a small click behind them, and Anna straightened up, pulled out her wand and spun around in one fluid movement, pulling him to her as a figure in the shadows limped forwards. A small ring of fire erupted from her wand, casting a halo around her head as the figure was lit up.

"Alastor! For goodness sake, don't do that!" she admonished the gnarled man who stumped out of the shadows. His face was leathery, criss-crossed in scars. He was missing some of his nose, and an electric blue eye was mounted on a leather strap. It glared at him unwaveringly as he stopped, leaning heavily on a staff. Fly-away grey hair stuck up in all directions.

"Sorry, Anna. Had to check. Don't want the Death Eaters getting in, do we?"

"That's all very well, Alastor, but most of them are either in Azkaban or St. Mungo's. And please stop glaring at Harry."

"Are you sure it's him?"

"_Positive_, Alastor. Now, please will you introduce yourself?"

Harry watched Anna berate the man in bemusement. The ring of fire was still floating around her head, and she flicked her wand to let it uncoil around them, casting light into the darkness.

"You make us a target, Anna." The man muttered, but stopped in front of Harry.

"Alastor Moody. I'm Head of the Auror Office. You look like your mother, Harry."

Harry shook the offered hand nervously. Moody's grip was strong and firm, no matter how strange he was.

"Call him Mad-Eye. He doesn't mind." Anna grinned at him. Mad-Eye humphed, but said nothing as he led them up a spiral staircase. His face was a little kinder.

"The Minister's in there. Wants to see you both about Harry's adoption." He said gruffly, jerking his head towards the large door at the end of the corridor. "Personally, I think it's about the most sensible thing he's ever let you do."

* * *

"Thanks, Alastor." Anna said warmly, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder to steer him towards the door. She knocked, the sound resonating around the small corridor.

"Come in, come in." A voice called from inside. Anna pushed opened the door, making sure Harry walked in after her. She wanted to make sure Lucius Malfoy wasn't sneering at them before Harry got there. To her relief, it was just Fudge sitting in the high backed crimson chair, writing furiously onto some paper. The curtains blew in the wind, but the room itself was not affected. Grand, ornate, covered in gold and silver, it displayed pompousness.

"Annoushka Lupin. Please, sit down. And with you... _Harry Potter_!" Fudge nearly dropped his pen in surprise. "Do sit down. My, my. Harry Potter, in my rooms...ahem." he shuffled the papers around on his desk.

"Do you know why you are here, Annoushka?"

"Anna, please. And yes, Alastor said that you wished to talk about Harry's adoption."

"Indeed." Fudge cast a sideways glance at Harry. The small boy was watching them, green eyes serious.

"Minister, Harry has just received his key from Gringotts, which is why he is with me. I know that discussing his adoption with him in the room may make you uncomfortable, but I am not about to send him out."

"Of course not, of course not." Fudge coughed nervously. There was a click from the door, and Alastor stuck his head around the door.

"If it is any easier for you, Minister, I can look after Mr Potter. Anna, he will be safe with me."

"I don't doubt that." Anna smiled. Alastor had been eavesdropping. She leant nearer to Harry, casting a wandless Silencing charm around them. Fudge's eyes widened.

"Do you mind, Harry? The Minister can't do anything about the Adoption, but it will be rather boring. I trust Alastor."

"That's fine, Anna. Did Mad-Eye know my parents? He said I looked like mum." Harry whispered.

"Yes, he did. I'm sure he'll show you some pictures if you ask. He has all the old ones."

She removed the Silencing charm from around them, sighing at Fudge's affronted expression.

"Alastor, Harry is quite happy to go with you. I think you may have some photos...?" she grinned at him. Alastor nodded, and beckoned to Harry, who got up and followed him out of the room, looking back once at Anna. The door clicked shut behind them.

"Now, down to business." Fudge said pompously. "I am aware the Adoption Office granted your offer..."

**Ten minutes of boredom and going around in circles later:**

"...however, you must see that..."

**Twenty minutes of tedium and monotony later:**

"...but his safety is key to society and the Ministry's...I mean, his success..."

**Another fifteen minutes of painful listening and repetition later:**

"...and with you being a werewolf..." Anna snapped at that comment.

"Minister, for the last forty-five minutes I have listened to you state the reasons why you think Harry should not be allowed to be adopted by me. I have listened to every single one and provided an answer to each. You yourself allow the adoptions through – why did you not bring this up before? And you as well as the rest of the ministry know that I am a _half_-werewolf. This is what this really is about, isn't it?"

"Don't know what you mean...preposterous..." Fudge was sweating. "How is being a half-werewolf any different than being a full werewolf?"

"It makes all the difference. I am no threat to _anybody _at the moon. No-one. I do not transform."

"Yes, well..." Fudge stammered. "Oh, very well. I approve the adoption. Now, if you excuse me, I have matters of state to be getting on with..."

"I bet you do." Anna muttered softly. "Thank you for your time, Minister." She said a little louder, sweeping from the room. The portrait of Grogan Stump, a former Minister, nodded to her before exiting his portrait – no doubt to tell Dumbledore how the meeting had gone.

She hurried down to the Auror office, passing nobody in the darkened corridors. She turned a corner, and then heard a crack from behind her. Her reaction was superfluous as she turned, drew her wand, summoned the coil of light and pointed her wand at the figure coming towards her.

"Anna Lupin. There is no need for you to be so on edge." Lucius Malfoy's snide tones cut through the darkness as he stepped forwards, cane tapping on the floor. Anna didn't lower her wand.

"There is plenty of need for me to be on edge, Lucius, and you know it. What business brings you to the ministry at quarter to two in the morning?"

"I could ask you the same question." He evaded replying.

"I am here to collect Harry from Alastor after talking with the Minister."

"Aah. Well, I won't hold you back." Lucius vanished into the shadows, and, frowning, Anna lightly ran the last few metres to Alastor's office.

"Mad-Eye." She called softly, entering the office and ducking under the stunning spell he shot at her. He and Harry were sat at the table, looking through a massive pile of photos. Darkness almost covered the room, but it was light enough to see the various assortment of spying equipment Mad-Eye kept. Harry's eyes were bright, though tired.

"Sorry I'm late. Fudge took forever."

"What was his excuse?" Alastor asked as he collected the photos into a paper bag. She leant down to hug Harry, who buried his head in her side.

"He was basically just trying to stop me adopting Harry. Tried to tell me I was a full werewolf. Oh, Alastor, I met Lucius Malfoy in the corridor. He seemed shifty – I'd look into it, but I need to get Harry back."

"Let me." Alastor growled, struggling up. He grabbed his wand and stick, and made for the door. "Use the Floo to get back to Hogwarts. The photos are for you to keep, Harry, as a birthday present."

"Thank you, Mad-Eye." Harry said shyly.

"You're welcome." Mad-Eye vanished out of the door without a backwards glance. Anna looked down at Harry.

"Right, let's get some sleep before the later madness, shall we?" He nodded, yawning, and she helped him through the floo, across the living room and into his room before tucking him into bed. She placed the photos on the bedside table, removed his mokeskin pouch and placed it next to them, and then transfigured his clothes into pyjamas. He snuggled down under the covers, closing his eyes. A faint,

"Goodnight, Anna. Thanks." drifted out as Anna shut the door, smiling.

**Sorry it took so long! I won't be updating until perhaps next Saturday, or if not then in a couple of weeks. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers!**


	9. The Best Birthday Ever

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**If you are reading this, it probably means I am dead. There is no easier way of writing this, otherwise I would have done so, but I trust that as a ten year old you understand. The chest was charmed only to admit the letter's release if informed of my death. Your father has never seen this letter.**_

_**Harry, I don't know how your life has continued, and who you have stayed with. I hope to heaven it is Anna, because she will care for you as a son, perhaps even more than I would have able to do. She has comforted me and others more times in her life than I can count, and it is for that reason and for the fact that she is my best friend that I chose her to be your godmother. **_

_**Harry, I need to explain something. Your guardian will not have told you, for I know they will fear it is too early to explain. I will not tell you everything, but a little which may enlighten you. If you have returned to the wizarding world, you will have heard of a man known as Lord Voldemort, whom many refer to as he-who-must-not-be-named. Lord Voldemort, for reasons unknown, chose you as a threat to him. That is why we went into hiding. I do not know what may have happened after that – you will have to ask your guardian, but if you are reading this it means you must have lived.**_

_**You are young, child, and your life is your own. Live with hope, not despair, and do not judge people by immediate appearances, as I was once quick to do so. Trust your friends and allow yourself to forgive, as I did not once.**_

_**Harry, all the love from me that I could ever give you. Perhaps one day we will meet again.**_

_**Your mother, Lily**_

Harry bit his lip, looking down at the letter. There were tear marks on the parchment, blotting the ink. _My mother's. _He thought, tracing them with his index finger, and then the writing. Anna was right – his mother's writing was like his. She looped her 'y's the same way. For two hours he had sat and read and re-read the letter over and over again, committing every word, every syllable to his memory.

"Harry?" a gentle voice asked. He looked up to see Anna standing in the doorway, hair loose. She walked in, closing the door quietly behind her, and sat on the edge of his bed. He leant into her shoulder, noticing that she was still in the clothes she had been wearing earlier. "You were reading her letter."

"Lily wanted you to be my guardian." He murmured, showing her the sentence that stated so.

"She always intended for me to be." Anna replied. Her eyes were bright. Maybe with tears.

"She explained why everyone knows who I am. Did I really vanquish Lord V- He-who-must-not-be-named?"

"Call him Lord Voldemort, Harry. If you say he-who-must-not-be-named, it means that you are scared of him, and that would be like letting him win. Dumbledore always says that fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

Anna looked off into the candle light for a minute. "Yes, you did." She said quietly. "No-one knows how. You were only a year and two months old at the time. He killed both of your parents, but for some reason when he tried to kill you, it didn't work."

"But...why does everyone make a big thing about it? I was only a year and two months old at the time – it might just have been a mistake." Anna shook her head, pulling him close. He nestled into her shoulder, letting her warmth wash over him.

"Well...Lord Voldemort killed a lot of people, Harry. A lot of people, including both of my parents. When you defeated him, he vanished, so everyone was very happy."

"But he didn't die?" Harry asked, confused.

"Most people thought he did."

"But you don't?"

"I'm not sure. However, today is not the day to be discussing this. Come on – it's still only six o'clock, but you can open your presents." She grinned at him.

"I have _more _presents?" Harry asked, jumping out of bed. For the moment, he had completely forgotten about Lord Voldemort. He was just an excited ten year old.

"Yes, you have _more _presents. One from the Weasleys, obviously, one from Remi, one from Albus, one from Minerva, one from Hagrid and another one from me."

"But...but you already gave me one!" Harry followed her into the living room, rubbing her eyes. A single balloon was floating above Anna's armchair, held to the floor by nothing. _Happy Birthday, Harry. _It said in sparkling gold letters. He reached up to touch it, confused as to how it could float on its own, and it exploded in a wave of red and green sparks. Streamers, rainbow coloured, flew everywhere, landing in his hair, on Hedwig and Midnight, and all over Anna.

"Sorry." He murmured. Anna raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's meant to do that, Harry. However, I don't think Hedwig or Midnight are too amused."

He looked across at the two owls. Hedwig had a large collection of streamers on the crown on her head, and Midnight had them dangling off her beak. Giggling, Harry crossed to pull them off, apologizing profusely to the two owls. Both snapped their beaks at him good-naturedly.

"Come and sit down, cub. I need to get the streamers out of your hair, too." Anna patted her lap from where she was sat in the armchair. Harry bounced across, leaning back into her embrace as soft hands began to disentangle streamers from his hair.

"Right then. This one is from Hagrid. Now, be careful. Hagrid means well, but his presents can be a little..."

"Unusual?" Harry asked, chuckling. Two days ago, Hagrid had given Anna a present, which had turned out to be a pair of boots which when you put them on, were meant to protect against all curses. What they had succeeded in doing, however, was making Anna dance non-stop for the next ten minutes until Professor Snape had performed the counter spell. Everyone had laughed at that – even Anna and Professor Snape. She didn't seem to mind being the subject of ridiculous jokes – something the Weasley twins had taken advantage of.

Carefully, Harry unwrapped the package. Discarding the lumpy paper, he found himself holding a book.

"That's a bit unusual of Hagrid." Anna commented. Harry turned it over, and then grinned. _Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, by Newt Scamander._

"Or maybe not." She continued, smiling. Harry opened the heavy leather bound book randomly, and it fell open on Billywigs.

_The __Billywig__ is an insect native to __Australia__. It is rated XXX, and is around half an inch long with the colouring of a vivid sapphire blue. The speed of the Billywig means that it is rarely noticed by __Muggles__, and __wizards and witches__ only spot it once they have been stung. _

_The Billywig's wings are attached to the top of its head, and the wings rotate extremely fast, spinning the Billywig so that it can fly. _

"A _Billywig_?" Harry asked, chuckling at the name. Anna smiled.

"They really do exist, you know. They're native to Australia, and when you are stung by them you can levitate for a couple of minutes. You use them in potions, as well."

Harry grinned, and Anna gently placed the book on the floor next to her, watching it carefully. "Some of Hagrid's books have been known to run off." She said wisely, before handing him a second package. "This one is from the Weasleys."

Harry slowly unwrapped it, and a couple of packages fell out. One was labelled neatly _From the whole family. _Harry raised an eyebrow, wondering how Ron responded to that. The other was messily and hurriedly labelled **from** **Fred and George – sorry about the mess, Harry – we had to slip it in without Mum knowing. **He laughed, and picked up the neater one first.

"I think I know what it is." Anna teased him as he squeezed it. Mock glaring, he gently tore off the paper to reveal a small cake, sky blue with gold icing, and a box. Anna smiled at him, removing the cake for safe keeping and sending it whizzing over to the table. Harry picked up the box, and undid the catch. Inside, nestled in a clean hankie chief lay two small badges.

"My Goodness." Anna whispered.

"What?" Harry asked curiously.

"They're your father's. One is his Head Boy badge, and the other is his Quidditch Captain badge."

Reverently, Harry picked up one of the badges. Set in the shape of a broom, it was a deep crimson and the words _Quidditch Captain_ stood out in gold letters. He placed it back in the box, and pulled out the other badge. This one was a shield, pure black with silver writing proclaiming _Head Boy._

"My dad was Quidditch captain _and _Head Boy?"

"Oh, yes. He was amazing at Quidditch, was James, and he became slightly more responsible in Seventh Year, so became Head Boy."

"What do you mean, he became slightly more responsible?" Harry asked curiously as she placed the box in the floor, on top of Hagrid's book. Anna laughed.

"Your father was a bit like Fred and George. He liked pranking people. And hexing them, come to think of it. Speaking of the twins, why don't you open the package they managed to slip in?"

Harry grinned, and tore apart the wrapping paper. Inside lay a pack of cards, a bag of sweets and a small, telescope shaped object. "What are these?" he asked.

"The cards are Chocolate Frog cards – the chocolate is in the shape of a frog, and the cards feature famous wizards and witches. The sweets are Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans – and I mean _every _flavour. I found one which tasted like grass once, and Remi had a bogey one."

"And the telescope?" Harry giggled.

"No idea. It looks like one of their experiments. Is there a label?"

"Yes." Harry pulled out the folded piece of paper. The twins seemed to keep up their habit of doing things in turn, as the paper was written in stages in different colours. Harry guessed that the black writing was George's – it looked slightly neater.

(A/N – George in Italic, Fred in Bold.)

**Harry,**

_Happy Birthday! We hope you've had lots of interesting presents._

**Well, you're probably wondering what the telescope-shaped object thing is. To explain that, we have to tell you a little story.**

_Once upon a time, when Fred and I were slightly more innocent than we are now... _Harry chuckled, and could hear Anna doing the same. _..we decided to play a prank on the whole family._

**It was summer, and we were bored. Ronnikins was being infuriating, as usual, so we decided to invent something which makes your food taste of the thing you like either the least or the most. **

_For Mum, Dad, Gin and Bill, we gave them the one which makes the food taste like your favourite. Charlie wasn't there, so we gave Percy and Ronnikins the one which makes the food taste disgusting._

**Ronnikins hates sprouts, and Perce hates cabbage. So, it came to mealtime. Mum had cooked pea soup, and George and I had innocently offered to help stir.**

_Dad was the first to taste. He asked mum why the soup tasted of Smarties. Obviously, they're a muggle product so Mum had no idea what he was talking about. Mum's tasted like Chocolate, Gin's tasted like Fizzing Whizbees and Bill's tasted of Pineapple. Predictably, Ron's tasted of Sprouts and Perce's tasted of Cabbage._

**Mum immediately suspected us, and under threat of disembowelment, we cracked and admitted to pranking everyone. Mum couldn't get too angry because we gave her the nice one...**

_But she still made us de-gnome the garden. Bill took pity on us and helped, and he gave us a good idea. Pranking people, he said, is all very well, but what happens if you have a friend who you don't want to be pranked?_

**And so, dear Harry, our genius was sparked and this is what we came up with. It's a Prank Sensor, and it'll vibrate if it senses a prank about to happen.**

_Put it to good use._

**Fred **_and George._

"Those two." Anna laughed out loud. "It's an amazingly good idea, though."

"You won't tell Mrs Weasley, will you?" Harry asked nervously.

"Of course not. It's not like they tried to prank you or anything. Now then, how about these?"

Ten minutes later, having been given a bag of Muggle sweets (Dumbledore) a book called 'Quidditch through the ages' (Remus) and another book called 'Transfiguration for fun' (Professor McGonagall) Harry finally got to Anna's second present. To his surprise, it was a piece of paper.

"Read it." Anna explained, smiling. "I had to have Dumbledore's permission."

Frowning, Harry looked down at the paper.

_I, Albus Dumbledore, hereby give permission for Anna Lupin, Godmother of Harry Potter, to teach him the basics of magic and to procure a wand._

"No way." Harry whispered, looking up at her. Anna laughed.

"Yes way."

"You can teach me _magic_?"

"Technically only the basics, although Albus didn't specify what they were, so yes." Anna barely finished the sentence before Harry threw himself at her and hugged her tightly. She laughed and hugged him back, stroking his hair.

"Severus has said he'll teach you Potions as well, and he doesn't need permission for that. He says you're one of the best potioneers he's seen in a long time, and believe me, that makes you something special."

"When?" Harry asked excitedly. "When can I learn?"

"Well, we need to get you a wand, so...how's about two days time? You'll have to ask Severus himself."

"Yes!" Harry jumped up and smiled happily. He was so ecstatic; he didn't quite know what to do. Anna laughed at him.

"Go and get dressed, and then we'll have breakfast. You might want to owl Fred and George to tell them as well, and why don't you invite them over?"

"Can I?" Harry asked, pausing for a second. Uncle Vernon had never let him have friends over...not that he had ever had any.

"Of course. Invite Ginny too, if you like. They can come for the day, you can go play Quidditch and have a birthday tea. I'll notify the house elves."

"Oh, thank you Anna! Thank you! This is the best birthday ever!" Harry ran over and hugged her again. She laughed, squeezing him tight before pushing him gently towards the door.

"Go and get changed."


	10. The return

"Harry!" Three figures tumbled out of the fireplace, landing in an undignified heap on the floor. Ginny was first to get up, and she hugged him tightly, much to his surprise. The twins were still lying where she had left them, attempting to help each other up. What they succeeded in doing was tangling themselves up even more.

"Gerroff, Fred!"

"Not my fault!"

"It is! You were the one who jumped in!"

"You were the one who grabbed hold of Gin's arm and pulled her in after us!"

"That's because Perce was about to kill us!"

Harry couldn't help it. He began to laugh, and Ginny soon joined in as both twins looked up simultaneously and bashed heads.

"Morning, Harry!"

"You wouldn't mind helping us up?"

Harry hauled both to their feet where they brushed each other off, grinning, and then shook his hand.

"Happy birthday, mate!"

"Now, do tell, is the letter which you sent us a very early April Fool's joke or true?"

"What?" Ginny asked curiously.

"It's true." Harry smiled happily, and the twins whooped.

"Harry's gonna learn magic!"

"Come on, you two." Ginny said exasperatedly. Harry smiled at her gratefully.

"Anna's booked the pitch for an hour before Madam Hooch tests everything." He explained. Ginny grinned, and grabbed her broom from the pile on the floor. The twins did the same, smirking, and the four of them hurried down to the stadium, chattering noisily.

* * *

"Anna?" a soft voice asked. Anna's head shot up as she dropped her quill, ink splattering her nose. Severus was leant against the bookshelves a little way away, smirking at her. He looked tired.

"Severus? What can I do for you?" she moved some of the books off the chair next to her, placing them with a gentle thump on the table. She was surrounded by various tomes of all sizes, some dusty, some moth-eaten. Cautiously, Severus walked over and sat next to her, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

"What are you doing, Anna? Surely it's too nice to be inside."

"Says the man who is never caught in the sunlight if he can help it." She teased. "I'm doing Auror work. It's annoying, but I haven't been in for two weeks, so it mounts up."

Severus leant over her shoulder, his breath light on her cheek as he read the caption of the paper she was filling in.

"Concealment and Disguise? I thought only trainee Aurors had to fill that in?"

"The _test_, yes. But we get sent forms once a year, which is why I have all of these." She gestured at the books. "I'm an animagus, but I have to specify everything about it – how long I can stay transformed for, why I'm a wolf animagus, what type of wolf I am..."

"Surely, if you just wrote – _Gray wolf animagus, twin sister to werewolf, transformed time..._however long you can stay transformed for, you could hand that in."

"I wish." She sighed, writing her name with a flourish at the bottom of the parchment. "How did you know I was a Gray Wolf?"

"I saw you transform when Harry was brewing, remember?"

"Yes, but I only transformed for a maximum of five minutes. There aren't many characteristics to distinguish a Gray Wolf from any other wolf that you could notice in that amount of time."

He smirked, and leant back, avoiding her question. She sent him a small scowl, and threw a small book at him. Easily, he caught it out of the air, nodding to Madam Pince as she rounded the corner, frowning. The vulture-like woman smiled fleetingly at him before vanishing off down another isle. Severus placed the book carefully on the table, where it fell open on a random page. Anna leant over, and then began chuckling.

"What?" he snapped.

"You look practically the same as you did in third year, Severus. Oh my god, Sirius just got hit by a vial of engorgement potion..." she collapsed back into her chair, laughing. Severus frowned at her and then stared at the book, a small smirk gracing his face as Sirius was splashed with engorgement potion.

"I remember that lesson. We were working on class projects – I was with Lily. We were working on...Pheonix tears, I think..."

Anna smiled warmly at him. "Sounds like fun. I wonder who threw the vial?"

"I don't think it'll be written in the text." He teased her, scanning it quickly. She was about to throw another book at him when Madam Pince rounded the corner again, checking on them with her dark glare. Anna sent her an innocent smile, and then scowled in Severus' direction as he began to chuckle.

"Stop distracting me." She berated him, pulling another piece of parchment towards her.

"Sorry." He replied, not sounding at all sorry. Anna bent back over the parchment, scowling grumpily at the questions.

"Stupid, stupid questions..." she muttered. The quill splattered her face again, and she threw it down angrily.

"Anna." Severus took her arm, spinning her around to face him. His eyes were dark, unreadable, as he looked down at her. "Are you ok?" A gentle hand brushed her cheek, and she frowned as he began wiping away the ink dots with a small cloth. His touch was gentle, warm, and she closed her eyes fleetingly.

"You had a little ink on you." He explained. She raised an eyebrow in imitation of him, smirking as he mock-glared at her. Suddenly, his expression changed to one of abject horror, and then pain.

"What is it?" she asked, worried. He shook his head, eyes shut, but she saw his hand drifting to his arm. He was a ghostly white, hands shaking.

"Severus?" she whispered. He opened his eyes again, and slowly began to get himself back under control. He avoided looking at her, instead staring down into his lap. His shaking began to cease.

"Do you want a pain potion?" she asked softly. When he didn't reply, she reached into her pocket and pulled the tiny vial out, pressing it into his hand. "Drink."

"I'm fine, Anna..." he breathed softly, meeting her eyes. She shook her head at him, gesturing to his arm.

"What is it?"

Slowly, he rolled up his sleeve, exposing a writhing black tattoo. Anna had seen them before – on the arms of previous Death Eaters whom she had caught. However, they had always been faded and grey. Severus' was a deep inky black.

"But that must mean..."

"He's back." Severus said grimly. "Meeting at nine tonight."

Anna just sat in silence, unseeing as she gazed at a book on one of the shelves. Her brain was going round and round. _He's back. Harry. Harry. Harry needs to be kept safe. He's with the twins...should be fine for now...I can't leave him this evening. Not now HE'S back. He'll have to come with me to Molly's...oh._

"Severus, you're meant to be at the Order meeting this evening." She said quietly. Severus stared at her.

"Damm. I can't duck out of either meeting..."

"I'll cover for you at the Order meeting, but you _have _to get to Molly's at some point..."

"Aren't you angry?" he asked softly. She looked up, meeting his eyes. Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was _not _one of them.

"No. Why should I be? Well, unless you count being angry that the stupid bastard has come back to life."

He raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought that the fact I carry the Dark mark on my arm may have worried you."

"I know you a lot better than you think, Severus Snape. I also received the full filling in from Albus. I know you've changed. There's no point in labouring over the past."

His look as he rose was incredulous, almost relieved. For a man who hardly ever showed emotion, he looked surprisingly shocked.

"Thank you, Anna. Now, I think I will leave you to it. I need to tell Albus."

"Goodbye, Severus. Good Luck."

He just stared at her, eyes roaming her face, before turning to walk away. Anna sighed softly and bent back over the paper, unable to concentrate as her mind stayed solely fixed on one thought. _Lord Voldemort is back._

She wasn't aware of Severus, who was stood in the shadow of the bookcases, watching her. His eyes roved over her figure, noting how she bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth, how her hair fell in ringlets over one shoulder, how one curl danced at her throat, how she leant on her elbow, how she curled her feet under the chair.

"Stop watching her. Tell Dumbledore." He berated himself, turning away.

* * *

Anna emerged from the floo, shaking her hair out of her collar and smiling across the room at Remus. The twins, Harry and Ginny were already here, up in the twin's bedroom. Molly had agreed enthusiastically to Harry staying over, so she was carrying his bag slung over one shoulder.

"Anna! How are you, my dear?" Molly hurried into the room, pulling her into a strangling hug. Anna patted her gently on the back and waited until she pulled away before handing over Harry's bag.

"I'm fine, Molly. Everything of Harry's is in here."

The room steadily began to fill, Arthur, Alastor, Mudungus and Albus nodding to her as they took their places around the table. Suddenly, there was the sound of running footsteps and Harry, George and Fred burst into the room.

"Anna!" Harry cried, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, cub. You ok?" she asked softly, stroking his hair. Many of the other order members who hadn't read the papers were staring at them with a mixture of surprise and amusement as she pulled him close.

"I'm fine, Anna. Did you bring my clothes?"

"Everything, including your wolf." She murmured softly so that only he could hear. He smiled at her gratefully and took the bag, blushing as he realised exactly how many people were in the room. Gently, Anna introduced him to most of the room, laughing when he hugged Remus, much to her brother's surprise.

"Right, cub, has Molly told you what's going to happen?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.

"You're having a meeting, and I'm not allowed in." He replied, grinning at her cheekily. Anna laughed and cuffed his head affectionally.

"That's right, so off you go. Please stop Fred and George from blowing up the house – I'm not sure I can get them out of the repercussions. Come down when you're going to bed, though – knock twice on the door."

"Ok." Harry hugged her once more before following the twins out of the room. Slowly, Anna straightened up and sat in her place near the fire, smirking as some of the newer members shifted uncomfortably.

"He already thinks of you as mum. I caught him calling you that earlier." Molly bustled in, sitting down next to her. Remus grinned at her as she blushed, and then Albus cleared his throat. The room was lit by candle light, expectant faces lining the long table.

"Welcome to the fiftieth meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. I see most of our members are here –save for one. Does anyone know the location of Severus Snape?"

"I do." Anna said quietly, standing. Twenty faces turned to hers, most surprised. "He'll be late, due to prior commitments." She nodded significantly to Albus, who was frowning.

"Then, I'm afraid we must start on a very bad note. Lord Voldemort has returned."

* * *

"My faithful Death Eaters." Voldemort's voice echoed around the room, although none of the Death Eaters could actually see him. Severus had no idea where he was, much to his discomfort, as he knelt on the hard stone floor. "I have returned. At this moment, I am weak, forced to share my faithful servant Crouch's body. However, I still see every one of you."

Crouch was seated in a high-backed green armchair, lolled to one side. He was deathly pale, black hair sticking to his forehead, but his mouth moved and from it issued Voldemort's voice, and his eyes were red. Severus fought a small shiver. What Voldemort had done to revive himself was...repulsive.

"Lucius, my old friend. Antonin, Avery...ah, Fenrir Greyback. I heard you have had problems with a specific Auror."

"That is correct, My Lord." The wolf nodded, eyes averted to the floor. His features were wolfish in the half light.

"Who?"

"Anna Lupin, My Lord. The half-werewolf Auror. I infected her brother, and somehow our blood was mixed. She has incapacitated me many times."

"She will be dealt with." Voldemort said coldly, before continuing his surveillance of the room. Severus bit his lip. Not if he could help it. "Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Alecto Carrow... where is your brother?"

"He is currently very ill, My Lord, with Dragon Pox, but sends his sincerest apologies."

"You will bear his task as well as your own tonight." Voldemort hissed. Severus winced. "Jugson, Rowle, Mancur, Travers, Yaxley...Severus."

Severus raised his head, aware of the other Death Eater's gazes. "My Lord?"

"You were one of the first to respond to my call. Yet, I received information from Pettigrew and Crouch that you had changed sides."

"Appearances deceive, My Lord." Severus said coolly. "The coot, Dumbledore, kept me from Azkaban and instead gave me a post at Hogwarts."

"Indeed." Voldemort murmured. Severus lowered his head again, noting with relief his dismissal. "Aah, Bellatrix. My faithful Bellatrix."

"You do me honour to let me serve you, My Lord."

"Indeed. Tell me, Bellatrix, I received note that you and your husband tried to find me, before being thrown in Azkaban."

"That is right, My Lord." Bellatrix exclaimed, eyes lighting up. Severus hid a disgusted scowl. Then began listening carefully as Voldemort began to speak.

* * *

"Listen here, Albus. How do you know he-who-must-not-be-named is back?" one of the Order members, a short, portly man who Anna didn't recognise, asked peevishly.

"I received confirmation of the return of Lord Voldemort," most people in the room shivered, "from a reliable source."

"And who is this _reliable source_?" Someone else asked.

"Severus Snape alerted me to the fact that his Dark Mark had renewed and burned earlier this morning." Albus said pensively. Around the table, there was derisive snorts, and Anna, who felt that Severus' word shouldn't be doubted, stood.

"He speaks true."

"How do you know?" the same portly man asked, raising an eyebrow. Anna turned to him and leant on the table, the candlelight shadowing her face. It illuminated the wolf in her, and several people leant back.

"I was there when he was called." She replied quietly, meeting the man's eyes. "I saw the mark."

There was silence, broken by Arthur. "Albus, what do we do?"

"We must prepare for another uprising, Arthur. And we must, at all costs, keep Harry safe."

"So you know where the boy is, Albus?" someone asked. Anna smirked slightly.

"Indeed. He is at this moment upstairs with the two Weasley twins." Albus said lightly, steepling his fingers. Several people who hadn't been in the room earlier glanced up, and one spoke up.

"How long has he been here?"

"Three hours." Anna replied for Albus. "He lives with me. Those of you who read the papers today know that I recently adopted him."

"Oh, he's fine, then. No-one would dare to try and hurt him when he lives with Anna." One of the Aurors said warmly. Anna smiled at him, and then they were interrupted by a flash from the fire. Kingsley appeared, black skin gleaming. His grey eyes were serious.

"There has been a mass breakout of Death Eaters from Azkaban, including Bellatrix Lestrange." Several people paled around the room, and all looked to Dumbledore, whose eyes were shut.

"It has began." He said quietly.

* * *

"Now for your task." Voldemort hissed softly. Around the room, several people shifted uncomfortably. "I will ask Pettigrew and Crouch, my faithful friends who need no confirmation, to perform the task on each of you. You will then floo back to your residences, and in four days time you will send confirmation of your alliance. I will know who have passed my task, for only those truly faithful will live through it."

Nine people drew breath. Severus stood with the rest of the room as the redness vanished from Crouch's eyes, leaving the original blue. He and Pettigrew lifted their wands.

"_Tractare Cruciatus vomica in totus illorum quisnam veho vestigium of obscurum insquequo is est privatus._" Pettigrew's squeak was contrasted with Crouch's deep voice. Severus felt a twinge of pain at the base of his neck, and clenched his fist as it began to intensify and spread. Around the room, the Death Eaters were in varying stages of pain – Nott was already on the floor, wheras Bellatrix was still smirking. The pain grew and grew, scourging his nerves, cutting off his feeling. He clenched the other fist as several people fell to the floor. So far, none had screamed.

"_Solvo ut totus illorum quisnam veho vestigium of obscurum suum pessimus nightmares." _Crouch hissed. Severus frowned as images began to crowd his brain, and then felt his hand begin to shake as, added to the Cruciatus pain, he was forced to watch his worst nightmares be played out in front of him. Most had already collapsed to the floor, and some were screaming and crying – he, Bellatrix and Greyback were the only ones left standing. The Cruciatus pain was still building, fogging his brain, clouding his reason. He felt as if his whole body was on fire, as well as millions of needles jabbing into his skin. Next to him, Greyback collapsed, letting out a howl of pain. Now only he and Bellatrix stood.

Through his blurred vision, he could see her swaying, eyes shut. Pettigrew smirked, no doubt enjoying the display, and slashed his wand. Bellatrix fell, and identical bloodstains appeared on all the chests of those present. Severus could feel his blood dripping down his side, and dimly watched the crimson stain blossom on his shirt. The fire from the wound began adding to the Cruciatus pain, and he looked up to meet Crouch's eyes. He was the only one apart from the two men left standing. Some of the Death Eaters had already fainted in pain, and Severus saw two twitch before their eyes rolled back in their heads. The first dead.

"My Lord, Severus Snape still stands." Crouch said softly. _Barely. _Severus added silently.

"I see." Voldemort hissed. "Your resistance and will is strong, as ever, Severus. Perform the last curses, my faithful."

"_Solvo unto totus illorum quisnam veho vestigium of obscurum sensus of igneus quod dying , tamen habitum lemma ex addo of nex._" Both men cried. As Severus collapsed to his knees, head down, sweat pouring from his forehead as well as the blood covering him, he felt a sharp burning pain engulf him, as well as the Cruciatus pain and needle pain intensify. He began to gasp for air as nine more thudded to the ground, some dead, some unconscious.

Only four people remained conscious – he, Bellatrix, Greyback and Lucius. Dimly, his brain processed the translation of the curses used – it kept the pain barely at bay as Lucius collapsed. _Give to the barers of the Dark mark the feeling of an eternal Cruciatus curse._ _Release unto all of those who carry the mark of darkness their worst nightmares. Release unto all of those who carry the mark of darkness the feeling of burning and dying, but hold them from the brink of death._

Greyback collapsed, his body crumpling onto the floor as he fell unconscious. The pain was so intense, Severus was sure than in seconds he would either die or collapse. Across from him, he saw Bellatrix's eyes meet his own fleetingly before he shut his, seeking solace in the darkness. _Save me, Lily. _He thought. Unbidden, an image appeared, but it wasn't of Lily. _Anna? _He thought, confused, as he recognised the young woman sat up in the hospital wing, a child cradled in her arms. A song began to filter through the pain, dispelling it.

"_Song of the moon_

_Going up in the sky_

_Soft as a feather_

_Of a lullaby." _

The pain began to recede slowly as Anna continued singing inside his head. He hungrily drank in every single one of her features – the moonlit chestnut curls, rambling and soft, the deep blue eyes, the pale face with thin, delicate bones, the long, gentle hands as she ran her hands through Harry's hair. The pain receded even more, until he could barely feel it. _Why you, Anna? _He asked.

"Snape. Are you still conscious?" Pettigrew's voice penetrated his peace. Attempting a weak scowl, Severus opened his eyes to see the timid man knelt next to him, watery eyes looking into his. He was knelt on the floor, the only one not collapsed or unconscious. Bellatrix had finally given in, her features twisted in agony. They had already removed the twelve dead.

"Yes." He managed to rasp out. He felt as if he were about to die. Or at least collapse. _Anna, you saviour. _He thought. Crouch was seated in the armchair again, and it was evident Voldemort was possessing him as he surveyed the collapsed occupants of the room with interest. The dark images in Severus' head were still present, but he thought unwaveringly of Anna's lullaby, and they did not reach him.

"My Lord, Severus Snape is still conscious." Pettigrew whined. Crouch's head whipped round.

"So he is. Well done, my faithful Severus. You have passed. You may leave." Voldemort hissed. Inclining his head, as he felt too weak to bow, Severus used the wall to get shakily to his feet. He almost collapsed once more as the world spun, but he thought of the lullaby.

"_The dark's a dream_

_And sound asleep." _He murmured. Neither Pettigrew or Crouch heard him, thank god, although Voldemort's harsh, curious eyes followed him as he stumbled and limped painstakingly from the room.

* * *

"Goodnight, Harry." Anna whispered, hugging the small boy to her. The meeting had concluded with everyone being told to keep their guard up and to look out for each other. Harry had appeared soon after, dressed in his pyjamas and rubbing his eyes sleepily. Anna lifted him onto her lap, stroking his hair as he settled against her.

"Remus, could you take him up?" she asked, cradling his sleeping figure in her arms. There were a lot of soft 'aahs' as Harry whimpered and grasped her sleeve, but he soon settled back into Remus' arms. Her brother looked slightly overwhelmed as he carried Harry carefully from the room. As the door shut behind him, the floo flared. Anna jumped up, wand pointed at it as a figure stumbled through.

Blood covered Severus' face and shirt as he collapsed onto the floor. He was trembling violently, deathly pale, eyes shut. He promptly curled up protectively as Anna shoved her wand into her pocket and knelt next to him, ignoring Molly's startled and horrified cry. Around the room, twenty eyes looked up and murmurs, whispers and gasps broke out. Hesitantly, Anna touched his shoulder, noting how cold he was.

"Severus?"

"A-A-Anna?" he rasped, opening his eyes. They were dark with pain, the horror flooding them. There were several gasps as a cut on his cheek released yet more blood to drip into his hair.

"Merlin, what happened to you?" she asked quietly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He squinted up at her, and then muttered,

"Test...cruciatus...nightmares...twelve died...everyone else collapsed and fainted."

He shut his eyes again, ignoring everyone else as they crowded around. Anna looked up to see Albus stood over her, blue eyes shocked. Everyone else stepped back as he knelt next t o them, placing a hand on Severus' forehead.

"He's got a fever."

"A-Albus?" Severus croaked. "Voldemort...is...possessing...Crouch..."

Around the room, there were several shocked gasps. Remus re-entered, and then ran over, kneeling next to them. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Anna.

_**What happened?**_

_Voldemort conducted some sort of test on the Death Eaters – the Cruciatus, prolonged, something to do with their nightmares and by the looks of things a large lot of Sectumsempra. Severus was the only one at the end of it left conscious._

_**He needs to go to the Hospital Wing.**_

_Poppy's in Germany._

_**Can't Dumbledore do something?**_

_Not here, and not with this many people._

_**Can you support half his weight? I can help you get him to your chambers.**_

_Just what I was thinking. _

"Severus, Remus and I are going to move you to Hogwarts, ok?" she whispered softly in his ear. Weakly, he nodded, and she turned to the rest of the room.

"Could you give us some space, please?"

"One...two...three..." Remus counted down carefully, and the two of then wrapped their arms around Severus' trembling body, lifting him up. He managed to place his feet on the floor, and Anna and Remus painstakingly supported him towards the fire, Albus bringing up the rear.

"Anna, how're we going to get through the floo?" Remus asked. Severus' eyes were still shut, and unconsciously she squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. "Trust me. But Albus, I need you to throw some floo powder in before us, and then hold my shoulder tight."

"As you wish." Albus did as she asked, and Anna pulled them into the fire. Carefully, she shut her eyes and began to concentrate. A delicious cool feeling spread through her, spinning them faster and faster until they were almost a blur. Her eyes flew open, blazing gold as she yelled,

"My quarters, Hogwarts."

And then they were stood in the living room, Anna panting softly. Remus and Albus were staring at her, but she shook her head at them and motioned for them to help her. Carefully, they supported Severus into her room, where they laid him gently on her bed. She shut the curtains, wandlessly summoned her entire potions store, lit a single candle and then knelt next to him.

"Where...am...I...?" he murmured, black eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Hogwarts. Safe." She replied, brushing a sweaty strand of hair away from his eyes. He nodded and shut them, relaxing almost impercievably against the duvet.

"Evanesco Severus' shirt." Albus murmured, and then all three gasped as the full extent of his injuries appeared.

"Oh, Severus." Anna murmured, as she noted his deathly pallor, bloodstained side and the massive, jagged cut running across his chest. Taking a wet cloth from Remus, she began to dab gently at his chest as Albus began muttering spells. Severus murmured in protest as the cloth caught the edge of the wound, and she rested a consoling hand on his shoulder. Her hair brushed his cheek, and she saw him smile fleetingly as a trembling hand reached up to grasp hers tightly.

"Sing." He whispered. "Please."


	11. Trust

He was too hot. She grabbed another towel, wetted it quickly, and leant over him. Albus was still stood next to her, muttering spells, wand pointed at Severus' face. He sighed almost inpercieveably as she placed it against his forehead, and she smiled, brushing a sweaty strand of hair away. Her own was done up in a long braid, coiled atop her head. Almost at once, her expression resumed its usual worried appearance.

_Oh, Severus. _She thought, as he moaned softly and shook.

"That should be it for now. Anna, I need to tell you something. Privately." Albus pocketed his wand, looking across at her. She hesitated, unwilling to leave him alone, but Albus' eyes were desperate. Rarely did anyone see Albus Dumbledore desperate.

"Of course. In here." She motioned to the living room, leaving the door slightly open so that she could see Severus' figure. Albus collapsed into the armchair, burying his head in his hands. Anna tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, shocked by the uncharacteristic gesture. "What is it, Albus?"

"The curses used on him have no counter. They were created from the original Latin, so the best we can do is to create a counter." He murmured. She nodded, hiding her worry behind a gentle expression. She crouched next to him, much like she had done as a student to read over his shoulder when he had taught her from his books.

"I understand. Why the worry?"

"I have created the counter to the curse. Repeat after me - _Abolesco totus vestigium of atrum vomica notus ut Cruciatus iacio in gero of vomica._"

"_Abolesco totus vestigium of atrum vomica notus ut Cruciatus iacio in gero of vomica." _She commanded. A small spark of blue light flew out of the end of her wand. "But why the worry, then? You are clever, wise, powerful, Albus...the counter will work."

"But I am not held in complete trust by him, Anna. You are."

"Severus trusts _me_?" she asked incredulously.

"Probably more than anyone he has ever met, Anna."

She nodded seriously, closing her eyes to think. Slowly, she began to recall the massive Latin vocabulary she taught herself. "He's stable at the moment."

"At the moment. His chest wound should vanish soon, as should the other visible wounds. It is his Cruciatus wounds and Nightmares I am worried about."

"You've created a counter. But why do I need to be trusted for that?"

"You don't. It is his nightmares that he must trust you with, because you must view them with him."

Anna gaped at him in silence. View _Severus' nightmares? _

"Albus, he is more likely to let me blow up the potions lab next moon than he is to let me see his nightmares."

"It is the only way, Anna. In approximately ten minutes he should resume consciousness. Four minutes after that, if he does not agree he will lapse into ...well, effectively a coma."

Anna sighed softly. So, in other words, neither had a choice. She looked at Albus, noting the exhausted stoop of his shoulders, the lines on his face, the worry in his eyes. The twinkle had gone, replaced with pain. Then, she looked across at Severus' figure. She couldn't let him go into a coma. She couldn't.

"Fine, Albus. Go to Molly's, and let no-one through. Not even Remus. If I need him, he will know. I will floo you when Severus ...if Severus is alright."

"You are a good girl, Anna." Just like he used to, Albus pulled her into a tight hug. The bond between them had been instantly strong, almost like relations. She had felt, as a child and then a young adult, that she could tell him anything and that he would take care for her. Now, it was down to her.

"Go." She said, striding back into her room. Severus was surprisingly still, face turned away, hair spread out on the pillow. She knelt next to him on the bed, removing the cloth and exchanging it. Then, closing her eyes, she began to think. She leant against the wall, hand across her eyes. Her hair sprung loose, and the plait uncoiled to hang down her back, touching her hips.

"_Abolesco totus vestigium of atrum vomica notus ut Cruciatus iacio in gero of vomica._" She said, pointing her wand at his face and watching the blue light illuminate the room. She bit her lip worriedly, turning it white as he didn't stir. Carefully, she pulled the covers down to check the scar on his chest. Thanks to Albus, it already looked three days old. He stirred, and she replaced the covers, breathing out in relief as his eyes opened. Focused, wary, they roamed her face before travelling down to look at himself.

"Anna. Where am I?" he asked, trying to sit up. She placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him, and he scowled as he collapsed weakly against the covers.

"My room, Hogwarts. You've been unconscious for three hours."

He nodded, frowning. "Where's my shirt?"

It was such a pointless question, she nearly laughed. "Albus vanished it so that we could sort out your wounds. Here." She charmed a cushion into another shirt and handed it to him, watching him struggle to put it on. She knew better than to help. _Two minutes gone. _She shivered, and he looked up.

"What is it?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Umm...well, I guess there's no tactful way to say this, Severus. Albus says that the nightmares caused by the curse you were hit by will cause you to lapse into a coma in two minutes if..."

"If..?"

"If someone doesn't view your nightmares with you." She muttered, looking anywhere but him. He drew in a sharp breath, and she felt the hand which was touching hers stiffen. Then, to her surprise, grasp hers.

"Why doesn't Albus do it?"

"Because the person who views them has to have your complete trust, and Albus thought you trusted me." She replied, her cheeks heating. He looked up at her, dark eyes fixed on hers. She felt his hand squeeze hers gently as he spoke.

"I do, however much it may seem I don't. You are probably the person I trust the most, Anna. You saved my life."

"How?"

"I can't explain here, and there isn't time. Do you know how to ...well...you know." He asked, unusually self-conscious.

"Mmm. I should be able to do it by using advanced Legilimency. Albus created the spell."

He nodded, lying back against the pillows. She shifted nervously, opting at last to sit cross-legged on top of the covers next to him against the wall. Taking a deep breath, she leant over him, meeting his eyes with a small smile before murmuring,

"_Ostendo sum ut mihi is alio profundus vereor quod permissum mihi experiance lemma_."

Then, the world began to swirl as she leant back, finding stability against the wall. She felt him squeeze her hand, whisper her name, and then everything went black as she felt the curious sensation of falling. Slumping onto the bed, she felt light, as if she were made of nothing, and then she landed with a soft jolt.

_She seemed to be in a dark room, with no windows, no walls and no door. Well, it wasn't even a room, really – just an endless landscape of darkness. There was nothing to see in either direction – just total shadow. It wasn't sinister...just unsettling. _

"_Anna?" a soft voice asked from next to her ear. The darkness lightened as she turned to see Severus stood next to her. All his scars were gone – he reminded her more of when he had been in school than as he was as an adult. _

"_Severus." She replied, noting with relief that she could speak. He smiled at her warmly, before swinging around as an image began to appear. She moved to stand next to him, noting how he stiffened as the image became clearer._

"_Anna, I can't do this. These nightmares – some of them, I haven't seen since I was a child. I've spent my whole life blocking them out. I can't watch them. I – I can't."_

"_You can, Severus. Remember what I said to Harry, that night in the hospital wing? I know you were there. He told me he was too frightened of sleeping, because of his uncle. What did I say?"_

_Severus' face creased as he frowned, trying to remember. Midnight eyes looked away into the nothingness. "You said..._ _that you were there for him. To remember you were there."_

"_Well, the same now applies to you. I'm here. Nothing is going to happen. I promise."_

_He looked down at her, eyes searching hers. Hope flashed in them. "You promise?"_

"_I promise." She whispered. The first scene began to play out, and she took his hand in hers. Then the second, then the third. Severus was becoming quieter and quieter, beginning to shake as they watched a younger version of himself be beaten. She squeezed his hand reassuringly, and then a shadow loomed out of the darkness. Both cried in surprise and stumbled back, and Severus' hand flew out of hers. He cowered down as the figure moved closer and closer, resuming the shape of a man, drunk and tall with leathery skin and piggy eyes that gleamed red. He separated, and the second figure assumed the shape of Lord Voldemort. The man raised his hand, and Voldemort his wand._

"_No!" Anna transformed, darting in front of Severus. She drew back her lips, letting out a soft snarl. Both figures stopped, and then the man vanished. Anna turned on Voldemort, padding forwards slowly, eyes fixed on his red ones. Growling softly, she tensed her muscles, prepared to spring, and then jumped as he vanished._

"_Anna?" Severus had risen to his feet behind her, staring. She moved over to him, rubbing her head against his hand affectionately before changing back._

"_I told you I would let nothing happen."_

_He chuckled softly. "Saved by a wolf. That'd be a good one for Trelawney to tell."_

_They watched the next five nightmares, Anna recognising amongst them the one where he and Lily had fallen out, where he had called her a mudblood, two meetings where he had been forced to torture children. She saw their faces contort with pain and horror, their eyes widen. And finally, the one where he had to kill a man, the blood pouring from a neat wound on his neck. She shivered and felt an arm wrap around her shoulders._

_He was deathly pale and sweating, hands trembling. Suddenly, another appeared in front of them, and Severus actually collapsed to his knees, hand slipping away. He began moaning softly as if in physical pain._

"_Severus?" she asked, kneeling next to him. He shook his head. "Meeting. The one you're healing me from." She pulled him closer, ignoring the fact that he was quite a lot taller than her and unused to contact. Gently, she began stroking his hair, murmuring to him as she did to Harry. She rocked backwards and forwards as she watched the scene play out, watching the Death Eaters collapse, watching blood pour from his shirt, watching, just watching. She saw Lucius fall with a cry, saw Greyback collapse with a howl. She saw Bellatrix crumble, features twisting in pain, and then saw Severus close his eyes. She frowned as she heard faint singing._

"_Why...? Oh." She recognised the song – it was the one she had sung to Harry in the hospital wing. The memory Severus was watching the memory of she and Harry quietly, drawing strength from the song. Understanding came in a rush, and she began to sing along quietly. Slowly, the man huddled in her arms began to shake, the sobs drying out. He finally looked up at her, and she smiled at him gently, helping him to his feet. She watched as, embarrassed, he scrubbed at his face, avoiding eye contact._

"_Severus." She said softly, turning him round. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."_

"_Is there not?" he asked silkily. "Not many cry at their nightmares."_

_Anna shook her head at him, exasperated. "I, Remus, Albus, Minerva, Alastor, Harry, you and countless others are the not many, then?"_

_He stared at her. "You have nightmares?"_

"_Being a half-werewolf with a werewolf brother as well as looking after Voldemort's prime target and my son and patrolling the streets every day and fighting Death Eaters and stopping Greyback from killing me every other day isn't easy, you know. Silly boy." She hit him playfully on the arm. Smirking, he returned the gesture, and she nearly overbalanced._

"_I'm not a boy." _

"_Oh, forgive me, Severus." She teased, darting out of the range of his hands. He mock-scowled at her, leaning over, and then both sat down suddenly as the world began to rock again. _

"_What's happening?" she asked, reaching out to him. Their hands touched, and then he pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders._

"_I think it worked, so we are returning to the real world."_

Anna blinked a couple of times. It was light, and someone seemed to be holding her hand as she lay curled up on the duvet. She struggled up onto her elbows, looking around. The sun was up, sending golden rays into the room. Her hair swished out behind her as whoever as holding her hand squeezed it gently.

"Anna."

Severus was still lying down, but his eyes were open as he smirked across at her. She laughed and moved over to him, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Severus."

She pulled away, attempting to straighten up, but he had thrown an arm around her waist, preventing her from moving too far back. Scowling, she hit his chest with her hand, gaining a small laugh from him as he let go and she tumbled backwards against the covers.

"You, sir, are evil."

"I know." He grinned at her, raising himself up on one elbow. Chuckling, she got up and fetch a glass of water from the side, taking a couple of sips. As she looked out of the window, her eyes noted a small party of people processing up the track leading to the castle.

"What the...?"

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please review – I've had tons of hits, but no reviews! And sorry about the mystery chapters that vanished – I deleted them.**


	12. Failed attempts

"What is it?" Worried, Severus struggled out of bed and limped across to her, pleasantly surprised to see that the pain from the previous day had practically vanished. Anna was stood at the window, staring, and he laid a warm hand on her shoulder. "Anna?"

"Looks like you weren't allowed to recover on your own." She chuckled softly, pointing to the group. He frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"Anna, I can't distinguish them. I haven't got my glasses."

A surprised flash in her eyes, replaced by warmth. "It's the Weasleys, plus Remi, Albus and Harry."

He scowled, stepping away from the window. The sudden movement rocked the room and he swayed on the spot, eyes shut. Gentle hands guided him across the room, pushing down lightly on his shoulders to sit him on the bed. Opening them, he saw Anna crouched in front of him, inspecting his face.

"You're still a little weak, but I don't think that me saying that is going to make a bit of difference, is it?"

He smirked. "No."

Tossing her hair over one shoulder, she stood and rummaged around in her robes. A strand of hair fell forwards, covering her eyes, but with both hands occupied she couldn't brush it away. However much she irritably flicked it across, it always moved to hang directly in her vision.

"Stay still." He instructed, raising a hand. She froze as he tucked the strand behind one of her ears, and he couldn't help running it between his fingers. Silky soft, completely different from his own, it looked like gossamer. A small blush tinted her cheeks as she handed him the vial of amber liquid and turned away, taking a small sip from her glass of water. He lifted the vial, and sniffed. It was honey and elderflower scented, and it confused him greatly. He had never seen a potion this colour or with this smell.

"Anna, what...?"

She turned round, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot you won't drink Potions unless you know what they are. This one's a strengthener and relaxer in one – I guessed you want to be up and about when the reception party arrives."

"You bet." He muttered, downing it in one. A pleasantly warm feeling spread through him, not dissimilar to butterbeer, and he hesitantly levered himself off the bed. To his surprise, the room did not rock as it had before, but remained steady. He carefully took a step, and then another. Anna was watching him with amusement, but it wasn't pitiful amusement...it was warm and kind. He didn't really care. For a while whilst being tortured, he had doubted his ability providing he survived the session to walk at all.

"Ready to face the music?" a gentle voice asked. He nodded, sighing, and allowed her to lead him out of the room and into the living room. A fire was lit in the grate, giving out tangible heat. He could already see Harry's possessions littered around the room – his books, his broom and his owl. It drew a complete opposite to his own front room when he had been a child – as muggle as it was possible to make it.

"Oh, wait." Anna took his arm, stopping him as he was at the door. He raised an eyebrow as she pointed her wand at him, muttering something, and then heard a swish. "I thought you might prefer to look your usual self, just to annoy Molly."

He looked down. She had created a pair of black robes rather like the ones he preferred, and instead of being barefoot he was wearing a pair of close fitting black boots. However, unlike his usual robes they were much warmer and much more comfortable, and the boots fitted perfectly.

"It's what the Aurors wear." She explained, picking up her own cloak from the chair. He shook his head and followed her from the room. At once, the warm atmosphere vanished and they were in the cold depths of the dungeons. Greenish light filtered in from one window, but the cold did not touch him as it usually did. The picture that held his heart with black, inky fingers was still there, though, refusing to leave him. The only nightmare he had not shown Anna. With good reason.

* * *

Worried, Harry fidgeted as he sat in the Great Hall with the Weasleys. Remus was sat next to him, one arm around him as he kept glancing worriedly at the door. The Weasleys were unusually quiet, with the exception of Ron who had been taken out ten minutes earlier by his mother after twenty minutes of ceaseless moaning. He had been woken in the morning to be told that Professor Snape had come back from a Death Eater meeting in a very bad way, and Anna had looked after him all night.

"He's fine." A gentle voice said. Anna strode into the room, and Harry jumped up, running to meet her. Her arms enveloped him, drawing him into her familiar smell of mint and cinnamon, and he buried his face in her robes. She hugged him tightly, and he felt gentle fingers run through his hair.

"Severus!" Arthur exclaimed. Harry pulled back from Anna slightly to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway, familiar as always. He wore his accustomed smirk as he glanced around the room, but that didn't stop Harry running up to him and hugging him tightly, to incredulous gasps from around the room. He felt the Professor stiffen and cowered away. Perhaps he shouldn't have hugged him. _He'll hit me now, like Uncle Vernon._

Then, Professor Snape pulled him closer, wrapping both arms around him. Harry relaxed slightly and felt the man begin to rub circles into him back, like Anna did when he was frightened. He leant against the Professor, noting the smell of thyme and fire.

"Are you alright, Severus?" a cheeky voice asked. Harry giggled as Professor Snape let go of him and swatted at Anna, who was leaning against the end of the table, grinning. He watched the pair playfully try to hit each other, and caught Remus' eye. He raised an eyebrow, and Remus shrugged.

"Joking aside," Dumbledore was seated on the left hand side, and had watched the escapade in amusement, "Are you alright now, Severus?"

"I can assure you, Albus, that I am absolutely fine." Professor Snape smirked, walking to stand next to Anna. Harry grinned happily and sat next to Remus, who ruffled his hair.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, leaning forwards. Professor Snape just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"I think we'd all like to know." Remus prompted. Professor Snape turned to him, arms folded.

"Why?"

"Why? Dammit, Severus, we were all worried about you! None of us have ever seen you in that bad a shape – you were barely able to speak!"

Professor Snape just stared at him. Then, with a swish of his robes, he turned and strode out of the room. Everyone stared after him, until Harry tugged on Anna's arm. Out of all of the occupants of the room, she was the only one who wasn't looking surprised.

"Why did he walk out, Anna? Was he angry?"

Anna turned to him and hugged him tightly, resting her head on top of his. "No, cub. He's just not used to people being worried about him. Added to the fact that what he went through yesterday is quite difficult to explain."

"You _know_?" Arthur stood, and there were some murmurs. Anna spun around, one hand still on his shoulder, and Harry realised exactly why Anna was seen as someone not to be messed with as she glared at the room.

"I know. But it is not for me to say. If he wishes to, he will. If not then I suggest you just let it go." She smiled down at Harry. "Have you ridden your broom recently?"

Harry pondered, worrying his lip between his teeth. "Yesterday, but not for long. Fred, George, Ginny and I were going to again today, but if you'd rather we did something else...?"

"I brought a present for you on the way to Molly's last night. Think of it as nine year's worth of birthday presents. Go flying for an hour, and then we're going into Diagon Alley."

* * *

Anna slipped out of the hall, leaving the Weasleys preparing to watch Harry, Ginny and the twins play Quidditch. She hoped that Harry liked the broom she had bought him – she didn't want him to have to use the school one forever. Added to the fact that it distracted everyone whilst she went to find Severus. She heard a delighted yell from below her, and grinned privately to herself as she slipped up a flight of stairs. _Looks like it went down well._

In the end, finding Severus was much easier than she had anticipated. She hurried down the fifth floor main corridor, and was about to turn the corner when she spotted a figure sat in a small alcove which doubled as a tiny balcony. If she hadn't been searching for him, and hadn't been in that exact spot, she wouldn't have noticed. Silently, she slipped through the small opening and sat next to him on the rail, swinging her legs out into nothing. Silence spread between them, but it wasn't heavy and cumbersome as most silences were, but warm and gentle. She could just make out Harry on his broom, doing dives and turns she was sure James would have been proud of. Severus was leant against the pillar supporting the floor above, facing her but looking out over the grounds. He looked strangely vunerable, more of a teenager than his late twenties. Black hair swirled around his face, and Anna tucked hers into her collar, shivering slightly as the wind took advantage to chill the bare skin left behind.

"What do you want?" his voice was low, but not irritated or angry. Just weary, tired, like a man who had seen too much.

"To make sure you are alright." She replied quietly, edging closer. He looked across at her for the first time, and she noted the crushed look in his eyes, the sorrow, the fear, the surprise, the confusion. He was, for the first time ever, the same as the rest of them. His emotions were shining through his eyes, however much he tried to hide them.

_A black haired boy sat on the bathroom floor, a slicing knife in one hand, blood dripping from the other. The white floor was stained with rivers of red. He pulled up his sleeve, exposing the three jagged cuts he had already cut into himself. All was quiet, apart from the steady dripping of water. Even the usually loud, melodramatic ghost was silent as she sat on the pipes. In a sudden burst of anger, he raised the knife and pressed it in, the pain overwhelming him, but it was _good _pain, because it took away the _other _pain, the pain that threatened to engulf him. No-one would find him here. No-one would think of looking here, and in any case, no-one would look for him anyway. He would be long gone by the time they found him._

"_Please stop." The ghost floated nearer, eyes glittering with pearly tears that ran down her face from behind her glasses. The boy looked up, a small smirk twisting his lips._

"_I thought you missed the company."_

"_But not like _this_! You shouldn't die, you're too -." The ghost struggled for words as she floated next to him._

"_Why should I stop? I have nothing for me here, and it hurts, but it is good pain, Myrtle." _

"_Please." The ghost tried to snatch the knife from him as he raised it, angling it towards his heart. As usual, her hand passed straight through. He took a deep breath._

"_Severus?" a soft voice asked, full of worry. He opened his eyes and bloodstained black hair swirled as his head shot round. Anna was knelt five feet away, dressed in ragged jeans and a loose shirt. Her hair ran in curling tendrils to her waist as she leant nearer. He closed his eyes._

"_Leave me be. Let me die."_

"_No." Gentle hands took the knife from his icy grasp, and he opened his eyes to watch it shatter against the far wall. Light refracted off the shards, sending rainbows around the room. "Come here." She murmured, holding out a hand. He struggled with himself, torn between refusing and finding another way to kill himself, and letting her look after him. Hesitantly, he placed the un-bloody hand in hers and she drew him close, wrapping a gentle arm around his shoulders as she placed her hand on his arm. She was warm, and he let her heat surround him, caressing him as he leant nearer._

_He tried to resist as she rolled up his sleeve, but ended up tumbling into her arms. He was too weak, and she was like a sister to him, however much he hated admitting it. He watched as she pressed her hand against the larger of the gashes on his arm, and hissed as a wave of pan shot down his nerves. _

"_Hush, Severus. Hush." She whispered, squeezing his shoulder lightly as she stood. He struggled to his feet as well, and watched her vanish all evidence of his...attempts. Myrtle watched with misty eyes as she pulled him to her, hugging him tightly as he had seen her do with her brother when she thought no-one was watching. He let himself go for the first time, letting the tears leak out and imagining, just once, that he _was _her brother, that he had a sister to care._

"_Come." She cleaned his shirt with one small flick and led him to the door, and then down the twisting corridors. He just let her take him, not noticing where he was until she was pushing him down into a chair. The atmosphere was gentle, kind, warm, and he could hear a bustle dimly, like it echoed down a corridor. "Stay." She instructed, and he heard her murmur to someone._

"_Please, not Dumbledore." He moaned, and heard her break off. He became aware of her crouching in front of him, pushing the hair back from his face. _

"_It's not Dumbledore, Severus. I wouldn't take you to him. You're in the kitchens – you didn't eat at dinner."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I was watching." _

"_You were watching?" he asked softly._

"_I keep an eye out for my boys." She replied warmly, taking the cloth from the house elf nearby and dabbing at his face. He stared at her, and then both were interrupted by a surprised voice. "Miss Lupin? Mr Snape?"_

"_Oh shit." Anna muttered, so quietly he only just caught it. Both turned around to see Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway to the kitchens. Her face was deathly pale, eyes wide._

"_What on earth...why are you...Mr Snape, why is your face covered in...?" McGonagall stumbled a couple of feet into the room, and then leant against the wall, clutching her wand. "Don't tell me you tried to...?"_

"_He's fine, Professor." Anna said soothingly. He could see her worrying her lip between her teeth as she looked at him, and he sent her a tiny glare. A miniscule smile appeared, barely curving her lips as she leant back over him. _

* * *

Severus let his eyes roam over her face, noting the stray curl was still dancing at her throat, even when she had tucked the rest of her hair into her collar. For the first time, he could also see the beginnings of a scar, starting at her throat and dipping below her shirt. His eyes followed it, tracing it, and then moved up to take in her face, the freckles splattered across her nose like the ink had once been, the deep sapphire blue eyes, the small curve of her lips, the way she brushed her hair out of her eyes as she looked across at him. Far from being self-conscious, she seemed to be studying him as well. They were a few feet apart, and he could see the worry shining in her eyes. She looked...beautiful.

**Thanks to Iamnopoet, for great support and praise, Jessierose85 for encouragement, farwalker for their backing and comments, timmm for their inspiring comment and dijah12 for their great praise and help! I love you guys! To the others, please review and you will see your name at the bottom of the next chapter!**


	13. Pondering as time passes

The two of them looked at each other. Anna was sat cross-legged facing him, hair flowing over her shoulders as she tilted her head to look up at him. He leant nearer and opened his mouth to speak, when a lofty voice spoke up.

"_Well!" _

Both spun around, Anna's hair whipping out behind her. A beautiful young woman was stood leant against the pillar, white-blond curls tumbling over her shoulder. Forget-me-not blue eyes simpered up at him, as the woman moved nearer. White skin gleamed to perfection, not a line in sight, and dimples scattered her nose in almost perfect formation.

"Severus! My dear!" the woman cried. Severus frowned slightly as she hugged him tightly, skinny arms wrapping around his chest. He didn't miss the look the woman threw at Anna, the way the half-werewolf's eyes dimmed slightly, her face paled, and her shoulders stiffened. He scowled, and raised an eyebrow as she shifted so that she was perched on the very edge of the balcony, legs dangling over the edge. Anna looked across at him once more as he felt the possessive embrace lessen, and he noted the sadness in her eyes, the resignation. The woman pulled back, and at the same time Anna flicked her wand...and _jumped._

Severus couldn't help a small gasp as she fell, hair streaming out around her, and then saw a speck zoom towards her. About twenty feet off the ground she grasped the broom and swung herself up onto it, adjusting her cloak. She didn't look back as she flew down to the pitch, and Severus watched her go in discomfort.

"Strange girl." The woman simpered up at him, and Severus had to work hard to mask the revulsion on his face as he looked down at her. "But then, I suppose all half breeds are like that."

"Anna happens to be one of my closest and best friends." Severus said stiffly. "Madam." he added with a derisory glance. The woman, far from put off, gave a small, perfect, tinkling laugh.

"Oh, do forgive me, my dear. I meant no offense to _you_. And please, don't call me _Madam. _I am Rosamund, or Ro-ro to my friends."

"Rosamund _Trelawney_?"

"The very same, although I prefer to be known as Rosamund Arden, my mother's name. My aunt is a little...unusual, don't you know?" Severus felt a strange emotion rise in his chest, and it took him a while to realise he was feeling _sorry _for _Sybill Trelawney._

* * *

"Anna! Anna! Come and play!" Harry yelled as soon as she reached the pitch. Forcing a small smile onto her face, Anna flew up to knock the Quaffle out of Remus' hands and throw it through the goal hoops. The children cheered, and Anna laughed for real as she spun out of Remus' reach.

"Alright, but only for a little while, and then you need to come with me, cub." She relented. Harry grinned excitedly and hugged her tightly in mid air, not an easy feat, and whispered in her ear, "Thanks, Anna. For the broom, and for teaching me magic, and...everything!"

"You're welcome, cub." She replied, ruffling his hair gently. He smiled up at her, eyes sparkling in happiness, and then flew back up to head off Fred, who was trying to grab the snitch. Anna watched them, chuckling as her son ducked and darted under Fred and George who were playfully trying to grab him. _Look at your son now, Lils, James. _

"Go, Anna, go!" Harry yelled, and she realised she had been stationary for a while, hovering above the pitch. She leant forwards, shooting to intercept Ginny and Bill, and laughed as both jumped, Bill actually shooting backwards. She pulled out of her dive, the Quaffle grasped in her hand. The wind tugging at her hair, and she rolled the broom and shot towards the posts.

"Score!" Ginny whooped and hugged Harry, and the two children flew in loop the loops happily until both looked a little green. Smiling, Anna tossed a vial at both of them and the game went on, Anna studiously avoiding looking up to the balcony where she knew Severus was standing with Rosamund.

* * *

"That's it, Harry!" Anna encouraged her son, who was stood in the middle of the living room with a look of intense concentration on his face. The jay feather in front of him was levitating three feet into the air, albeit a little shakily, and she watched as, hesitantly, Harry flicked his wand, sending it shooting across the room to land gracefully onto the table. Then, he looked across at her, emerald eyes wary and excited.

"Was that right?"

"Perfect, cub." She murmured, hugging him tightly. He grinned happily, burying his head in her robes, and she sank with him onto the sofa, pulling him onto her lap. "You're better than I ever was at your age."

"No, I'm not." His voice replied, muffled by the material.

"Oh yes you are. The first time I used that spell, I cast a bubble charm instead and the whole class had to stop whilst Professor Flitwick cleared the room." She teased, stroking his hair. He was a natural – she'd never seen anyone learn so quickly, and that included her brother and Lily Potter. The tousled black-haired head leant on her shoulder shifted a bit, and then he was sat facing her on the sofa.

"Did you really?"

"Well, maybe not enough to halt the class." She amended, laughing at his amused expression.

"Can I learn to do a bubble charm?"

"Ok, but only after I've taught you how to light up your wand." She replied, flicking her wand to dim the lights.

"Alright." Harry stood, and bravely copied her wand movements as she murmured, "_Lumos._" The end of her wand lit up, and she smiled secretly as his did as well, the two pearly lights gleaming in the dark room.

"That's it." She encouraged him, watched as, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, he tried to dim it.

"N-N-Nox." He stammered, and the light faltered.

"You need to command it. Magic is a bit like brooms and owls, Harry – if they sense you are scared they won't work."

"Ok." Harry took a deep breath. "_Nox!"_ The light went out.

"Perfect, cub!" Anna congratulated him. He smiled cheekily.

"Can I learn a bubble charm now?"

* * *

For the next few weeks, Severus saw precious little of Anna and Harry, and, in his opinion, much too much of Rosamund Arden, who seemed committed to following him around and invading his personal space. The blond woman seemed to be everywhere he went, and whilst he had managed to drop off a vial of potion for Anna, he hadn't seen her enough to tell the effects. However, he had seen her the day after the moon, and her appearance made him halt in his tracks.

"_Anna?" he asked, touching her shoulder. The young woman looked up, and he gasped at the various cuts and lines layering her face. She had deep shadows under her eyes, and her hair was wild. Even so, with all the perfect beauty he had been exposed to over the last few days, Severus couldn't help but admire how ... natural she looked. _

"_Severus." She replied with a tired smile. He tried to resist, but ended up lifting a finger to trace one of the cuts. He saw her eyes shut briefly, and realised what a position they were in – barely feet apart, his hand on her cheek. That didn't mean he was going to stop, though. He went on to trace the rest of the cuts on her cheeks and forehead, and watched as they vanished. "Thank you." She murmured, tilting her head at him. He withdrew his hand, making sure to run it through her curls as he did so, and watched the rosy blush tint her cheeks._

"_Severus! There you are!" Rosamund appeared, looking perfectly composed even though her hair was slightly wilder than usual. Severus turned to introduce Anna properly, but found she had vanished, as if into thin air. He hadn't even heard her leave._

He hadn't seen her at all apart from that meeting, and now, as he sat in the familiar leather armchair staring out of the window into the dark night, he imagined her face, her hair, her eyes, everything about her. It was what had helped him sleep at night. For some reason, her face calmed him, her voice. He wondered why. He wondered at the strange emotion tugging at his heart every time he saw sapphire – a lake in a picture, a plate, a card...even some ink turned sapphire in certain light. Rosamund was like a limpet, attached to him. He couldn't get rid of her – wherever he was, she was. She also could sing, for he had heard her sing the same song as Anna – she had been singing it professionally with a pianist and entourage, whereas Anna had been humming it as she read. He preferred Anna's voice – it had feeling, warmth and light, whilst Rosamund was harsh and brittle with forced sweetness. Minerva had taken him aside the first day, sympathy clouding the usually serene sea green eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I waylaid her as long as I could. She sees you as a possible beau, I think."

Severus snorted at the memory, but he knew Minerva was right. Many women had pursued him over the years, all elements of perfection, but he had found nothing in any of them. Most of them had used Polyjuice Potion. Which reminded him. It intruiged him that Rosamund Arden shared no characteristics with her aunt at all. Silently, he rose, and, shaking his head, he set off to the library, making a mental note to _get rid of her _as soon as possible.


	14. The lone pianist

Anna sat in her armchair, teasing the knots out of the end of her hair with her fingers. Harry had gone to bed, and she could see him sleeping peacefully, curled onto his side, the mop of black hair just visible above the covers. She smiled, and then her mind reverted back to what she had been thinking of before. Severus. However much she tried, she couldn't get his face out of her head, his eyes, his touch. She closed her eyes and felt his hand brush her cheek, through her hair. _Oh, god. I'm falling for him. _

* * *

Severus stood in the lab, glaring at the remains of the badly-messed up potion. His sixth attempt and he had screwed up. Again. Sighing, he cleaned up and retreated back into his room, staring into the fire. However much he tried, all he could see was her face. Anna. He saw her sat in the hospital wing, cradling a child. He saw her sat in the library, ink splats covering her face. He saw her sat on a balcony, the wind whipping at her hair. He saw her singing. He felt her touch his face, her lips brush his forehead. _Anna. Oh god, I'm falling for you. If only you knew. If only you knew._

* * *

All was quiet in the Great Hall. Anna was talking quietly to Minerva, discussing whether she could teach Harry some Transfiguration. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun shining in at the windows. She fingered the red and blue kites that were shrunken in her pocket. _Kite flying later._ Harry had never flown a kite before.

"Yes, I'd be delighted to teach him...from what you've told me he is very bright." Minerva smiled benignly. Anna grinned, and caught Albus' eye as she turned round. Sparkling with mystery, they surveyed the room in amusement. The other teachers were chatting quietly, apart from Remus, who was as usual sat in silence, and Severus, who was glaring at the wall as per usual. Suddenly, there was a high pitched scream. Anna's hand went to her wand as she jumped up and over the table, pointing it at the door as a figure appeared. _Where's Harry?_

But it wasn't Harry. As the others teachers broke out in murmurs, the figure focused as Rosamund Arden, clutching her hand. Her pretty blond curls hung in awry, her eyes were wide.

"Miss Arden, what on earth is the matter?" Dumbledore stood, looking down at her. The woman gave a loud wail, and pointed at a smaller figure that had run in through another door.

"That ... piece of filth bit me on the hand, he did! The ill-mannered, disgraceful, disgusting child!"

"_Harry?" _Anna asked, turning to the small boy who was standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide, shocked as he winced and shied away, shaking his head. Rosamund Arden took a step towards him.

"Look what he did!" she showed them the teeth marks on her hand, blood dripping in delicate crimson beads. Silence. Everyone stared between Harry and Rosamund. Severus was the first to react, turning towards Harry.

"Is this true, Harry?" he asked softly.

"N-No, sir! I didn't!" Harry cowered away, shaking his head desperately.

"He _lies_!" Rosamund shrieked. "The stupid, evil child! He should be beaten and locked up!"

Harry bleached a ghostly white, slumping against the wall. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he stared at the woman.

Anna gasped. She extended a hand to Harry, but before anyone could do anything he had bolted out of the room and down the corridor, vanishing around the corner, leaving the room in total disarray with a weeping Rosamund Arden in the middle, clutching at Severus' robes as he knelt next to her and began healing her hand. The teachers were all murmuring, Remus frowning. No-one noticed as Anna slipped out of the room towards her rooms, walking lightly and quickly.

* * *

Entering her rooms, Anna noted immediately that Harry's bedroom door was open, and that there was a small, shaking bundle on his bed, curled up.

"Harry?" she called, leaning in the doorway. The bundle shifted, and two terrified emerald eyes looked up at her. Harry uncurled, and stood in the centre of the room, head down, turned away from her. She noticed that there was a small suitcase, packed in the corner. "Harry, what's this?"

"Please, just get it over with and then I'll go back to the Dursleys and never upset you again." Harry murmured, still facing the floor. Anna frowned, moving further into the room.

"Get what over with?"

In answer, he pointed to the small wicker chair, resting on which was a belt with a large brass buckle. It seemed to have been placed there in an exact position. Anna began to feel sick. _Harry expected her to beat him. And then send him away. _She walked to stand directly in front of him and placed a long, thin finger on his chin.

"Look at me, Harry."

Slowly, the small boy raised his head, frightened, wary emerald eyes anticipating the buckle to come smashing down on his back. She met his eyes with her own, keeping her finger under his chin as she spoke.

"Harry, I would _never, ever _beat you. _Never. _I'd rather die."

"But...but..."

"But nothing. And I'm not going to send you away, either. Not in a million years. Harry, you're my son now. I love you, child."

"You...you do?" Harry dropped his head, looking at his shoes. Sighing, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him to the bed, resting his head on her shoulder as she sat on the edge with her arms wrapped around him.

"Of course I do, silly boy."

Suddenly, her arms were full of sobbing child as he curled up on her lap, sniffling into her jumper. She stroked his hair gently, running her hand through the silky strands. His jumper brushed against her arm as she felt him bury his head in her shoulder, hands clutching at the blue material.

"Sssh, Harry. Its ok, I promise. I'd never send you away. Or beat you. Never."

He nodded, and she drew back slightly. His face was pale and blotchy, with red eyes and mussed-up hair. She sighed softly, and summoned a cool cloth, wiping his face with it. Slowly, the blotchiness vanished until he resumed his usual appearance, albeit still a little pale.

"Now, then. Did you bite Miss Arden?" she had a mental image of Harry as a small, black wolf, latching onto Rosamund Arden's hand as she swatted at him, pale perfection twisted. She had to fight to stay serious as Rosamund's stick figure flailed pathetically.

"No, Anna, I promise I didn't. She came up to me in the corridor and was asking me tons of questions and wouldn't leave me alone, and I got scared so ran away from her."

Anna frowned. _If Harry didn't bite her, who did?_ "What did she ask you?"

"Stuff about why I was so small, and when I had come to stay with you, and why. And lots of stuff about you."

"What did you say?"

"I said that you were really kind and nice and fun and that you'd adopted me. And she asked me whether I was bothered that you were a half-werewolf, and I said no, because I'm not." He replied stubbornly. She smiled and ruffled his hair, helping him to stand. Worried, he clung to her arm as she led him into the living room and towards the floo. "I said the right thing, didn't I?"

"Yes, cub. I'm sure you did."

* * *

"Have you seen Anna or Harry?"

That was the general line of questioning in the castle, and now in the Burrow, waiting for the meeting. After Rosamund had appeared, Anna had vanished and neither she nor Harry had been seen since. Only Remus didn't seem bothered, and Severus sought him out to ask why.

"Anna and Harry are fine, Severus. Trust me. You'll see them in approximately three minutes." The wolf said with a small smile, before limping off. Severus watched him go, and then blinked. He had been standing in the middle of the corridor, and now there was no-one there. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout.

"Anna's here!"

Hurrying into the kitchen, he recognised Anna's familiar curly head as she sat next to Arthur on a stool, smiling gently. Harry was stood next to her, left hand twitching.

"Where have you been, Anna?" he asked, a little more harshly than he had first intended. Her head whipped around, and surprised ocean blue eyes met his.

"Err...flying kites."

"You've been _what_?" Molly asked in amazement.

"Flying kites. We went to halfway up Nevis. It gave the locals a shock, I can tell you now." She said, with a pretty smile which lit up the room. "Harry's amazing."

"Harry!" the twins tumbled into the room, Ginny close behind. At their mother's glare they straightened up and brushed themselves down sheepishly before enfolding Harry in a large hug. "C'mon! Come and play Wizarding Chess with us!"

Harry sent Anna a quick look which Severus interpreted as one of questioning, much to his interest. She nodded, smiling warmly, and the small boy's face split into a large smile as he followed the twins out of the room, Ginny bringing up the rear.

"Did he?" Remus asked, as soon as he had gone. Anna met the wolf's eyes.

"No. He swore to me that he didn't." She turned to Molly. "Can I have a firewhisky, Mol?"

"O-Of course." Molly said, surprised, hurrying out of the room and returning quickly with a rather dusty bottle. Anna poured herself a glass and downed it in one, hand shaking. Severus could see the scar more clearly, pale and nasty-looking against her tanned skin as she leant back. Remus' eyes seemed to be drawn to it as well.

"What is it, Doushka?" he asked, worried. Everyone in the room stared at him. He had never openly spoken in Russian before. "You never drink."

Anna said something in Russian, and they all watched Remus' face pale. She turned to face Molly, hand still shaking. "Did you hear about what happened earlier?"

"Yes."Arthur answered for his wife. Anna took a deep breath.

"When Miss Arden was being healed, I went to find Harry. He was in our rooms, in his bedroom. He was crying, curled up on the duvet, so I asked him what was wrong." Her face paled considerably. "He got up and asked me to belt him."

"Belt him?" Tonks asked from her corner, confused.

"Beat him with a belt. I have no idea where he got it from – I don't wear belts and neither does he. It was a nasty looking thing – black with tons of bits sticking out. He stood in the centre of the room and told me to belt him and then send him away." Her voice broke at the end. There was silence in the room, broken by Molly sitting down hurriedly. Severus leant against the wall. Harry had asked Anna to beat him, even though he hadn't done anything. _Rather like your father used to do._

Remus reached across, and took another glass. Everyone else copied, and they all sipped the firewhisky quietly, apart from Anna and Severus, who both downed theirs in one. Tonks stared at him across the room.

"How do you two do that?"

"What?" Anna asked, looking up.

"Swallow it in one."

"Only the most sorrowful and angry of us drink firewhisky in one." Severus quoted.

"Я согласен полностью с этим. Мама взяла бы его в ее оружии, сказал ему, что было в порядке. Я не знаю, что сделать." Anna replied.

"Сделайте то, что Вы думаете, правильно, моя душа. Вы всегда. Тот мальчик любит, Вы любите мать." Remus reached out a hand and touched hers gently.

"In English?" Albus asked from where he was sat at the head of the table. Anna was about to reply, when Rosamund Arden walked in, tossing her hair over one shoulder and smirking at Anna. The young woman stood, drawing her wand to be restrained by Remus.

"What're you doing, Anna?" Arthur asked, standing. So did everyone else in the room. Severus frowned as he saw Rosamund adopt a pathetically helpless look. Anna was struggling out of Remus' grip, and everyone else looked very confused. Apart from Albus, who never looked confused.

"Успокойтесь, Анна!" "**Calm down, Anna!" **Remus cried. Severus strode forwards, but before anyone could do anything she had wriggled out of Remus' arms, summoned the floo powder, thrown some in, changed and vanished.

* * *

Three hours later, Severus walked along the corridors of Hogwarts. Anna hadn't returned, so the Order meeting had been a waste of time, apart from Rosamund being accepted in. She hadn't seemed to have cared that Anna was missing. Remus had carried Harry back to his chambers, for the small boy had fallen asleep, exhausted, and no one knew where Anna was. _Come on, Anna. What's wrong? Where are you? _Normally, he would be trying to sleep, but he couldn't with Anna missing. No-one could. He turned a corner, and heard someone singing. Frowning, he moved closer, nearly tripping over Mrs Norris, who was curled up at a door. She ran away, yowling, but the singing continued and he pressed his ear to the door.

'_Nobody said it was easy_

_It's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No-one said it would be this hard...'_

Suddenly, the tune changed as whoever was playing changed the notes on the piano.

'_The lights go out and I can't be saved  
Tides that I tried to swim against  
Have brought me down upon my knees  
Oh I beg, I beg and plead singing_

Come out of things unsaid  
Shoot an apple off my head  
And a trouble that can't be named  
A tiger's waiting to be tamed singing..'

Then again. Severus slid down until he sat with his back pressed against the wall, listening with his head resting against the door.

'_But I can't afford_

_To fake anymore_

_To live this facade_

_As the warm champagne pours_

_Out on the lawn_

_We pretend we're having _

_Tons of fun in this world where we don't belong...'_

Then, there was the sound of someone playing the piano lightly, playing a beautiful, lilting tune with airy phrases that reminded Severus of his mother, of Lily, of school before they fell out, of the sun, of the sea. Silently, he pushed the door open and crept inside. And then froze.

Anna was standing in the centre of the room, her back to him. The piano was playing softly on its own as she pulled a clip out of her hair. She wore her normal jeans and t-shirt, but she seemed transformed as she pulled on a pair of satin black ballet shoes and twisted her hair up into a bun high up on her head. One strand fell loose as she began to dance in time to the piano, spinning and twirling like a snowflake does when caught by the wind, how a leaf does when falling, how sunlight does on a tree canopy. She didn't see him as she twirled and spun and pirouetted. He was transfixed, as he leant in the shadows and watched.

As soon as she had started, she stopped with a small sigh and leant against the piano. He was held by the curve of her neck, her tanned skin, the lone curl that as always coiled at her throat, the arch of her back as she stretched. She let down her hair, and the chestnut curls danced in the candle light. _Merlin, you're beautiful, Anna._

* * *

"Anna?" Harry rolled over, looking up at her with a small smile. She sat on the edge of the bed, tucking the blanket tightly around him and then curling her legs up under her.

"Hey, cub."

"Where did you go? I heard everyone shouting."

"For a walk, cub. And to meet a friend."

"Ok. Could...could you tell me next time?" he asked nervously. "I was scared."

"Of course. I'm sorry, Harry. I should have told you." Instead of being angry, Anna leant near and pulled him into a tight hug. He inhaled the smell of mint and cinnamon, and relaxed, content.

"Anna, did you ever prank anyone, like Fred and George? Remus said you did, but he wouldn't tell me when."

Anna winked down at him. "He's right, I did once or twice. I suspect the one he's thinking of is the one that we call _The Great Quidditch Scandal._"

"What happened?" Harry asked in interest.

"Settle down and I'll tell you." Harry snuggled back down under the covers and Anna pulled them up to his chin, smiling. "Well, it happened when I was in my third year..."

"_Lily." Anna was sat in their dormitory, combing her hair out. The silky chestnut waves fell way below her waist, and she caught Lily staring before nodding. _

"_Yeah?"_

"_Have you ever wanted to play Quidditch?"_

"_I'm no good at it, Anna, you know that. But you should. I don't see why they don't let girls on the team."_

"_My point exactly." Anna smiled mysteriously. "Did you know there's a boy in Gryffindor who's Russian?"_

"_No! Who? Apart from Remus, obviously." Lily asked, looking up._

"_Tam O'Flahearty. He's a Quidditch fanatic."_

"_Why have I never heard about him?" Lily asked suspiciously. "It sounds like an Irish name, as well."_

"_His name is Irish 'cause his dad is half-Irish."_

"_How do you know that? We don't have classes with him."_

"_No-one does." Anna smirked. Finally getting the gist, Lily began to chuckle._

"_Don't tell me you're going to...?"_

"_Dress up as a boy and try out? Yep."_

"_Are you mad, Anna? They'll see straight through it."_

"_You didn't." Anna pointed out. Lily acknowledged her point, grinning. _

"_So, why're you telling me?"_

"_I need to get a boy's set of school robes. I can steal Remi's, but I need you to distract everyone."_

"_That won't be hard, but we've only got twenty minutes." Lily checked her watch. "Lets go."_

_**Ten minutes later;**_

_Anna eased herself into the boys' chambers. She could hear Lily yelling at Potter downstairs, and smirked as she reached Remus' trunk. Carefully, she unlocked it with a wave of her wand, and grabbed a pair of Remus' robes, before re-arranging everything and sneaking out. She could hear Lily flouncing up the stairs, and met her at the door to their dorm. "Got them."_

"_Good. How're you going to do your hair, though?" Lily asked, as Anna struggled into Remus' robes. They were pretty much the same as the girl's ones, only that they didn't have the added layer underneath. Anna let her hair tumble down her back, and then pulled it into a ponytail and smiled at Lily._

"_There's this charm I heard Flitwick talking about which can change your appearance – but not permanently. I did a little digging, and found out the incantation."_

"_You really want to do this, don't you?" Lily asked wonderingly as she delved around in her trunk for something. Anna nodded, biting her lip, and lifted her wand. _

"_Dissimulo meus saeta quod change is ut a brevis tractus pro halba hora_." _She watched as her hair seemed to be cut at her ears into a bob, and the rest fall and then vanish into nothingness. Lily was watching her, grinning like a Cheshire cat. _

"_If I didn't know, I really wouldn't recognise you. Here, dab a little of this on your cheeks. Tuney bought it for me – I can't wear it, my complexion is too light. It tans your skin, but it'll make you look like you've got stubble." Anna did as she asked, and when she stood back she saw not Anna Lupin but Tam O'Flahearty, a young thirteen year old boy. _

"_Genius, Lils. Now, I just have to get out of Gryffindor tower without anyone seeing me."_

"_Well, that's easy. Everyone's already left to watch the tryouts. There'll be no-one down there."_

_**Ten minutes later;**_

"_And you are?" The blond Gryffindor Quidditch captain asked. Many a girl fancied Oliver Down for his muscles, his icy hair and his tan brown eyes. He was a kind boy, but as did all the boys frowned against girl being on the team. Anna cleared her throat, injecting a healthy dose of Russian. _

"_Tam O'Flahearty. Third year. I want to try out for Seeker."_

_The sixth year looked at her over hooded eyes. "O'Flahearty, eh? You've got a Russian accent, though."_

"_Me pa's half-Irish." Anna explained, deepening her voice. She had to control her grin as Oliver nodded, waving her towards the line. Her competitors were a fifth year boy who was stocky, called Michael, and James Potter. She avoided looking at him, instead scanning the stands. Alice and Lily were sat together, and both discretely gave her the thumbs up. Michael went first, but he fell off half way through, so that was him out. Then came James._

_He flew amazingly, dipping and diving. He was a natural, poised and proud. He only missed one golf ball, which was thrown under him. At the end, he swaggered off, brushing past Anna. "Beat that, kiddo."_

"_Ok." Anna smirked, jumping onto her broom. She shot high into the sky, doing a perfect loop before coming to halt fifty feet about the pitch. The stands were a sea of upraised faces. She floated a little lower, confidently smiling down at the sixth year as he crossed into the pitch. There was silence as everyone turned to watch. Even the Slytherins, usually there to jeer, were quiet. Anna spotted Severus, his eyes narrowed. His eyes met hers, and she saw a flash of understanding. Shooting him a discrete smile, she began to play._

"_Anna's amazing, isn't she?" Lily whispered to Alice as they watched, hands over mouths. She hadn't missed one yet – completely perfect. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked up to see Severus smirking. _

"_She is good, isn't she?"_

"_You know?" Lily asked._

"_Her eyes are quite distinguishable. That's why she wasn't looking at Potter, Black or her brother, obviously. I think he's suspected, though." Severus pointed down to where Remus was watching with narrowed eyes. Anna spun on the spot, catching the ball one-handed, and then dived down to catch another. _

"_This is the one James missed." Alice drew a breath as the three students crossed their fingers – even Severus._

_Anna took a deep breath. The charm was holding, and she had one left. One that James Potter had missed. The sky was blue, the sun shone, the grass swayed, but everyone's attention was fixed on her. Oliver drew back his arm, and threw. The small, white sphere came flying towards her. It was going to pass under her broom. Carefully, Anna bent both knees over the broom and swung downwards, hanging upside down. A couple of girls screamed. The world spun, a blur upside down, but the golf ball was still focused. She reached out a hand, and her fingers closed around the smooth ball as she swung back up to right herself on her broom. The stands exploded below her, everyone cheering as she flew down. Landing a little shakily, she stumbled and felt Oliver's hand close over her elbow._

"_Well done, lad. You're amazing, honestly. You're definitely Seeker. Potter can play Chaser."_

"_Sorry, sir, but I think you'll have to have Potter as Seeker. I can't play. I just wanted to prove that I could do it." Anna said, pretending to be humble. Please work. Please work. Please let him say it._

"_Why on earth can't you? You're amazing, kid. We'll find a way to do it. I'll even abolish the rule, if that's what it is."_

_He said it._

"_It's not a rule, Oliver. Just a prejudice." Anna said nervously, meeting his eyes. The sixth year still didn't recognise her._

"_Well, everyone will have to cope. I'm not letting you go."_

"_No, seriously, we're going to win this year." James grinned. The rest of Gryffindor wholeheartedly agreed. "What prejudice is it, anyway?"_

"_The one that says..." Anna licked her lips nervously. She felt the charm wear off, and turned away. Taking a deep breath, she spun around to meet Potter's eyes. "That girls can't play Quidditch."_

_There was uproar. Shouts of "Anna!" rent the stadium as Potter stared across at her. Oliver's mouth was opening and closing without sound. Suddenly, Severus strolled onto the pitch._

"_Well done, Lupin. If these idiots don't accept you, perhaps we can dress you up as a Slytherin and get you on our team."_

"_NO WAY!" all the Gryffindors yelled._

"_She's on." Oliver said, looking a little ill. "Congratulations, Anna. You're the first successful girl to get on a team. I should really have you disqualified, though."_

"_Don't you even think about it." Potter threatened. "She won it fair and square. She's Seeker."_

"_I knew it!" Remus yelled at her as soon as they were a little way away. "I knew it was you. Pretty good cover, though. And whose robes are they?"_

"_Err..." Anna gulped. "Yours."_

* * *

_**Now then. I want to say thanks to the sole person who reviewed my last chapter, but whose name didn't show up. As for everyone else, if someone could be bothered to review I'd be very happy. This month, I've had over 3000 people read my story but ONE person reviewed. Come on, people, it takes about 20 seconds.**_


	15. Wish upon a shooting star

Nine o'clock two days later, Anna wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders as they walked down the drive towards the gates. The small boy was walking next to her happily, waving his wand first left then right. She laughed as her robes were covered with bubbles that Harry had just accidentally conjured. With a sheepish grin, Harry vanished them and then hugged her tight.

"Hush, cub. I'll be fine. I'm staying at the Ministry." she reassured him, stroking his hair gently.

"Promise?"

"Promise." she vowed, kissing his forehead. He nodded and stepped back as she stepped through the gates. Remus appeared out of the undergrowth, placing his hands on Harry's shoulders. The boy relaxed into his hands, and she could see the happiness lighting her brother's face as she sent them both a grin. "Try not to blow up the school."

"Ok." Remus smirked and then waved at her as she spun on the spot. She waved back, felt the usual tugging sensation and then she was standing at the entrance to the Ministry. A couple of Purple robe-clad women hurried past, nodding to her, and she smiled back warmly before striding inside. Arthur was stood near the large marble statue, nose buried in some parchment, and she smiled at him in amusement before making her way to the wizarding archive. She was followed by a chorus of congratulations by the people who had only just heard about Harry's adoption, and then nearly fell over as someone ran full tilt into her.

"Draco!" an annoyingly familiar voice yelled. Righting herself, Anna looked down to see a blond haired boy with shocked cloudy grey eyes who was holding his arm and cowering from her against the floor.

"Hey." She offered him a hand. "You want some help?"

"Please." His voice was quiet, almost indistinguishable, like the whisper of the wind. Carefully, she hauled him to his feet, righting him gently. He stared up at her, just like Harry used to do and out of complete habit she knelt at his level.

"Anna Lupin." She offered him a hand. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and shook hers in reply.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Lucius' son?"

"That's him." Lucius was stood above them, glowering down at the small boy. Within seconds he had seized Draco in a strangling grip on the arm and had dragged him down the corridor, yelling. The boy was sniffing, eyes tight shut, face deathly pale. Anna scowled after them, making a mental note to ask Severus about Draco, and strode the last few feet to the registration office. At once, a calming silence descended and she hurried over to the main desk, behind which a blonde who reminded her painfully of Rosamund was sitting smoking and twisting her hair around her fingers.

"Anna Lupin?" she enquired, sitting up a little straighter and unsuccessfully attempting to vanish all traces of the cigarette and lipstick. To little effect.

"Yes. I would like you to find all files that you possibly have on a Miss Rosamund Arden, please." Anna smirked slightly at the woman's flustered expression, before pulling up a chair and settling into it. It was warm sunshine outside, and she thought of Harry and Remus, who were no doubt up to all sorts of mischief.

"Miss Lupin?" the woman asked, frowning. She looked less like Rosamund when she wasn't being a tart.

"Mmm?"

"Our systems have picked up no-one with the name _Rosamund Arden._"

"Try Rosamund Trelawney." Anna instructed, leaning nearer. The woman worried her lip between her teeth as she typed, and then her expression resumed its original confused appearance.

"Nothing. Just Sybill Trelawney, the seer."

"Does Sybill have any siblings? Any brothers or sisters?" Anna asked, standing. A couple of maintenance workers stared at her, but she ignored them.

"Negative. She's an only child."

Anan scowled. _Who are you, Rosamund? What do you want? _The answer appeared without premeable. _Harry. Oh god, Harry._

"Thank you." She commanded imperiously. "That is all." Silently, she swept from the office, and as soon as she was back in the crowded corridor, she began to run.

* * *

"Severus!" Anna panted. She had flooed directly to Hogwarts, sprinted through all the corridors, and had narrowly missed running into him as he glided to the hall. A gentle hand came out and steadied her as she bent over, trying to catch her breath.

"Calm down, Anna. What's the matter?" His voice was low and soft as he leant next to her, one arm looped around her shoulders. Slowly, she regained her breath and smiled up at him gratefully. However, her expression soon resumed its original worried appearance almost at once.

"Rosamund. She's not who she seems. There is no-one on the Ministry databases called Rosamund Arden or Rosamund Trelawney."

Severus frowned. "Did no-one tell you this morning? Rosamund has vanished. Into thin air. She must have scarpered last night, without telling anyone. It would explain what you have found out, though."

"At least she's not in the castle." Anna breathed a soft sigh of relief. Severus' eyes looked down into hers, pools of warm darkness as he studied her.

"You came from the Ministry. Did you just _run straight out of work?_"

"Errr..." Anna realised how foolish she had been. She had left the Ministry without telling anyone where she was going, in the middle of an assignment. Her actions had been justified, though. "Yes. I guess. But I was worried about you and Harry." She said defensively, and then realised what she had said, blushing a furious pink. She could see a tiny tinge of pink of Severus' cheeks as she fumbled with her cloak, intending to pull it around herself. Thin fingers fastened it for her, resting at her throat where the catch was a little longer than necessary. Cool hands brushed the soft skin under her skin, and she felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck as she swallowed slightly.

"Anna! Thank goodness you're here! For some reason, all the doors to all of the classrooms have stuck, and at lunch someone must have spiked the food, because everyone's hair began changing colours and making animal noises!" Minerva ran up behind them, completely banishing the moment. Anna raised an eyebrow at Severus, who shrugged, a small smirk playing around his lips.

"I was brewing."

"I think I know the culprits." Anna couldn't help it, she began to laugh. Minerva stared at her.

"I hope you do, Anna. Because I have honestly no idea."

"Leave it to me." Anna smiled up at Severus and winked at Minerva before gracefully striding away, leaving the two professors stood in the middle of the corridor behind her.

"_Are you sure it will work, Remus?" Harry asked mischeviously, crouching next to the taller man who was grinning as he pointed his wand at a map of the school. Remus' eyes were a cheeky light blue, filled with excitement. He looked like a naughty teenager. Then again, Anna had told him about some of the pranks Remus had played. He giggled slightly as the map glowed a faint red and then the dots that symbolised the people on the map began crashing into the walls in disarray._

"_Now, remember, act normal." Remus grinned at him before pushing open the door and strolling out. Harry followed him, tucking the map inside his jumper. They strolled down the corridors, occasionally half-heartedly attempting to open a door. The first person they bumped into was the Defence Professor, who was puffing and wheezing as he tried to force open a door. Solicitously, Remus went to help him and Harry had to control his laughter as his uncle pushed lightly against the door._

"_It won't open!" he said in mock-surprise. The elderly Defence teacher nodded._

"_I know, my boy! I've been trying to get in for the last twenty minutes!"_

"_Dear me." Remus adopted a suitably thoughtful expression, looking across at Harry with a twinkle in his eyes. "I wonder why that must be."_

"_Can the castle do this, Uncle Remi?" Harry asked innocently. _

"_I've never heard of it happening before, Harry." Remus replied with a completely straight face. He nearly gave it away by smirking, and steered Harry away before his mask collapsed._

_Twenty minutes later, the entire group was seated uneasily around the lunch tables. Remus had 'found' a small passageway into the dinner hall, and most of the teachers were eating with their usual gusto. Only Professor Snape was absent, something Harry was secretly glad about. He thought that upsetting the tall, strict professor might be rather scary. He shared a quick wink and a smile with Remus, who was deliberately drinking some of the pranked water. At once, his uncle's hair began to change colour violently, from lilac to orange before settling on a tranquil blue._

"_Good grief, Remus!" Minerva said, surprised. Suddenly, hers, as well as the rest of the tables' began changing as well, finally stopping on Gryffindor red. Harry giggled at his reflection in his glass. The twins' potion had changed his hair colour to auburn red. The defence teacher's was bright yellow, Professor Flitwick's a lime green and Professor Dumbledore's a pretty lilac. It looked rather strange on him, with his flowing beard and hair. Other teachers were sporting pink, rose, red, purple, indigo and lemon among others._

"_What can have happened?" Flitwick asked._

"Harry James Potter! Remus John Lupin! Get here _right now_!" Anna called across the hall. Two mischevious faces looked up, and Remus attempted a wry smile as he steered Harry over.

"Ach, we've been scuppered, Harry!"

"It was _you two_?" Minerva asked in surprise, placing a hand in her emerald green hair. Anna couldn't help it... she began to smile, and then to laugh. Soon Harry and Remus joined in, and then the rest of the hall. She laughed so hard her sides ached and her eyes watered, sparkling with mirth. She hugged Harry tightly, and when she had regained some control over herself, said,

"What you two did was very mean," she broke off to glare half-heartedly at Remus, who was pulling a suitably chastened face, "and I should really punish you for it, Harry." She saw the small boy's look, a flash of his old wariness and fear. "However, I won't, because you need to do stuff like that sometimes. Hell, I did it a lot when I was a kid. Just ask any of the Professors. But next time I'll make you apologise, ok?"

"Ok." Her son nodded, relief dawning in the emerald orbs. He turned to Professor McGonagall, who was wiping tears of laughter away. "Sorry, Minerva."

"Ach, child, call me Minnie. It's easier. And don't apologise – Anna's right, all kids need to do stuff like that. Your mother was a complete tearaway in her first few years, till she settled down."

Anna chuckled before sending Harry back over to Remus. "Guess I can't tell you off, Remi."

"Nope." Remus adopted an absurdly happy expression, which changed to mirth when she swatted at him. "Hey!"

"I can still hex you." She teased good-naturedly. Mockingly, he looked worried for a split second before taking Harry's hand.

"C'mon, Harry. We'll go into my rooms for a bit."

"And I'll go back to work." Anna scowled grumpily, sparkling at Albus as he glided in before slipping back to work.

* * *

"Anna Lupin! Where have you been?" Alastor bellowed at her as soon as she appeared in his office through the floo. She knew him well enough to see that he was genuinely worried and not annoyed, but the seven fresh-faced new Aurors standing in disarray around the room all jumped.

"Sorry Alastor. I was reminded of something, and ended up telling off my imp of a son and trouble-maker of a brother."

"Remus hasn't changed then." Alastor muttered good-naturedly, taking her arm to inspect her. "Get away with you, girl. This lot are our new recruits."

The boys of the group immediately took the chance to stand tall and look as handsome as they could. One particular boy actually winked at her, until a girl with turquoise hair hexed him on the backside. Anna couldn't resist smiling at the girl as she leant against Alastor's desk, recognising her immediately from the Burrow.

"Thank you, Miss Tonks–"

"Tonks, please." The girl stood a little straighter, her hair changing to purple."I hate my first name."

"And me." Anna nodded, keeping up the charade. She didn't want anyone to know they had met before. "It's why I'm Anna."

"What's your first name?" one of the boys asked daringly.

"Look it up." Anna smirked at his abruptly halted grin, and then began the usual speech. All the while she kept one eye on Tonks, who was listening with interest. Within twenty seconds, she had decided she liked her. Within thirty, she had decided Tonks was working with her. Within a minute she had identified two other apprentices who would be good at patrolling – both boys. The rest would be given to Alastor to train.

At the end of the speech, she drew Alastor aside, casting a wandless silencing charm.

"I'll take Tonks, Johnson and Pike."

Alastor glared at her. "Sometimes I wish you didn't have such a good eye. It would mean I'm not left with the complete idiots."

Anna laughed softly. "Sorry, Alastor. But they're the only competent ones in the group. I wonder how some of them passed their NEWTs."

"The Ministry is going soft on exams." He muttered, looking at the three Anna had chosen. "Tonks is by far the best of the bad lot. Her reaction time is good."

"I'll train her the same as the other two, although I have a feeling she will exceed expectations."

"What house was she in?"

"Hufflepuff. Just goes to show."

Alastor nodded, and they both surveyed the room. Tonks was looking around in interest, examining some of the weird and wonderful protection objects Alastor had. Johnson and Pike were talking quietly, although Anna was pleased to see that all three were keeping an eye on her and Alastor. The others were chatting raucously, unaware that they had just been sorted into Alastor's group. She removed the silencing charm, and sat on the desk, swinging her legs, waiting for silence. Tonks was the first to pay attention as ever, Johnson and Pike not far behind. The others continued their conversations, blissfully unaware of the five Aurors glaring at them. Anna sighed.

"You three have been allocated to me." She explained quietly, watching their expressions. All three looked very happy, Pike even ecstatic, although all three controlled themselves very quickly. She nodded approvingly. "Come. We'll get you sorted out. I don't think I need to mention that you are with me because you are the best. Therefore, you are treated a little differently." She beckoned to them, and they all slipped out. As the door creaked shut, she heard Alastor holler, "SILENCE!"

* * *

Harry grinned up at Remus as they sat on the sofa. His uncle was teaching him to write with a quill, and he was making progress. Sort of. Nine sheets of paper in, he had finally managed to write his name reasonably neatly, although the various ink splats decorating the paper left a little to be desired. Sighing, he flexed his hand, and saw Remus smile as he set aside Harry's final attempt and throw the rest into the fire. They made a satisfying hiss.

"D'you have to do that, Remi? I got ash up my nose!" an indignant voice yelped. Harry smiled happily as Anna tumbled through the fire, coughing. Remus immediately caught her and handed her a hankie, which she sneezed into a couple of times before stowing it away in her pocket. "Thanks, Remi."

Harry watched as she slipped off her cloak, draping it over a chair, and then sat next to him on the sofa, pulling him onto her lap. He snuggled nearer, breathing in her familiar smell and listening to her voice as she told Remus about her day whilst stroking his hair.

"Well, after sorting out you two it was pretty uneventful. Saw the new contingent of Aurors – Tonks is in my team."

"Tonks?"

"The girl who was at the Burrow the last time we went. The metamorphmagus."

"The one with the pink hair?" Remus asked, settling back into the sofa.

"That's her."

"Is she any good?"

"The best in the group."

"What's a metamorphmagus?" Harry asked in interest. Anna jumped, and then smiled down at him.

"I thought you had gone to sleep!"

Harry gave her a pleading look.

"A metamorphmagus is someone who can change their appearance to anything they like, without having to use a spell." Anna relented, picking him up. He nestled closer into her arms, relishing her holding him.

"Cool!" he smiled. "Can I be one?"

"Unfortunately, no. Or fortunately, seeing as it would mean I would have a hard time finding you when you pranked people. Metamorphmagus' are born with their abilities." Anna deposited him in his bed, tucking him in. "Now, sleep."

"Night, Anna." He murmured, wriggling until he was comfy. He saw her smile, and then shut the door, leaving him to delve into a dream world filled with quills, writing, and people whose hair changed colour.

* * *

"Anna." A voice said from the fire. Without looking up, she pointed her wand at it and finished the page in her book.

"Who is it?"

"Severus."

She nearly dropped the book in surprise, and placed it carefully on the table. Severus' pale face was indeed floating in the fire, and she got up to kneel in front of it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was wondering, did you see Aurora today?" he asked. Anna leant against the edge of the fireplace.

"No...I don't think so. Why?"

"Two things. One, she's pregnant."

"Really!" Anna grinned happily, looking away momentarily from the fire. Aurora had married a year ago, to a very kind and quiet Scottishman, who was an astrologist. She would have to go and congratulate her tomorrow.

"Really. The other is that if you go up onto the Astrology Tower balcony in approximately nine minutes you'll see a shooting star. Aurora has been predicting it for weeks."

"I'll be there. Thanks, Severus." Anna rose, pressing her hand to the small of her back. He smiled slightly up at her out of the fire.

"My pleasure."

Grabbing her cloak, she threw it over her shoulders, tied her hair into a loose ponytail, pulled on some boots and crept into Harry's room. The ten year old was sleeping peacefully, a small smile gracing his face as he turned over. Mussed black hair was just visible above the sheets as she crouched next to him, muttering a lot of protection charms, before backing away to the door, muttering some more before shutting it quietly. She wasn't taking any chances. If anyone apart from her entered Harry's room, she'd soon know about it, and they would be incapacitated.

"Remus." She called down the floo. Her brother's weary face appeared, changing to a bright smile.

"Doushka. What is it?"

"I'm going out for a bit, and need you to mind Harry."

"Of course. How long will you be out?"

"I don't know," Anna admitted, watching as he frowned. The familiar creases around his eyes and mouth stood out even more in the firelight. She stepped back as the floo flared, and then Remus was hugging her tightly. She let him embrace her, finding solace in his familiar arms.

"Where're you off to?" he asked warmly. "Seeing as you haven't bolted from the castle or through the floo, it's not work."

"Severus told me there's going to be a shooting star above the Astronomy Tower tonight." She grinned at his exasperated expression before kissing him fleetingly on the cheek and slipping out of the door. "Don't go into Harry's room!" she called back along the corridor. "I've charmed it!"

Severus glanced up at the sky. It was as dark as ebony, studded with little pin-pricks of light. The castle gave off a faint pearly glow, which didn't obstruct the light from the stars at all. An owl swooped down past the balcony, and he watched it as it landed on a branch, standing snowy sentinel in the darkness.

"Severus." A soft voice said. Anna was climbing the last of the steps, and he smiled warmly at her as she shook out her hair, standing next to him. A tanned hand rested next to his on the rail, thin fingers slightly curled. She shivered slightly in the wind, and he took her hand in his, warming it between his own. It was funny how with her he could be himself. He didn't have to be the evil potions bat. A faint blush coated her cheeks as she looked up him, a tiny smile ghosting her lips. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She didn't pull away as they turned to look up at the sky, both waiting for the dazzle of white light.

"I didn't know you like watching the stars." he said a tad throatily, as he removed his hand from hers. She sat up on the rail facing him, hair tumbling back over her shoulders as she smiled at him. He couldn't help it – he smiled as well, noting how the moon shone on her face, illuminating every single strand of hair. The small blush tinted her cheeks, lighting her face as she looked up at him.

"I've always loved them. Ironic, seeing as the thing Remi and I fear the most is the moon. I've always wanted to go to the northern lights."

"Perhaps I'll take you sometime." He teased. She laughed lightly, and then jumped as there was a loud whoosh. Both looked up instinctively at the sky, to see a white light on the horizon at the west, steadily growing lighter.

"Here it comes." Anna whispered. She seemed transformed, almost like a little girl as she gazed up at the sky in excitement. He looked up as well, and then smiled as the myriad of colour burst across the sky. Anna's eyes were tight shut, and he moved his hands to tangle in her hair, unable to resist the temptation. Hers moved up to wrap around his neck as she opened her eyes, gazing up into his.

"Dad always did say to wish upon a shooting star." She whispered.

"Then we'd better do as your father said." He replied gently, a tiny smile twisting his lips. She shut her eyes again, and he lowered his face gently to hers, brushing her lips lightly and then harder, supporting her with one arm as she leant into him. She was smiling, and he could see bursts of colour everywhere, dancing around them. He stroked her cheek gently, tracing it across the pale skin, down her neck, playing with the little curl at her throat. Sapphire blue gazed up into midnight black, and he realised he could feel her heart beating through his shirt.

"I think my wish just came true." She murmured against his shoulder.


	16. Shields of trust

**Hi! I'm so, so sorry I haven't updated, but my computer had a virus, I have option choices for my GCSE's to make and I had writers block! Thanks so much to my cousin - Merry Xmas to you too!**

**Anyway, the updates should be a lot quicker now and it's my birthday on Monday! So that's all good! Enjoy! **

* * *

Harry turned over, rubbing his eyes sleepily. It was a beautiful day, the occasional fluffy cloud floating peacefully in the deep blue sky. Perfect weather for flying. Grinning, he leapt out of bed, pulled on some jeans, a shirt and his blue jumper and began hunting for the second sock in his pair. Eventually, watched in amusement by Hedwig, he found it under his bed and pulled it on, slipping to the door. He was expecting Anna to be up already, so was surprised and slightly worried to see no-one in the living room beyond. Silently, he padded across the room to the sofa, where someone was lying.

"Mum?" he asked softly, and then a large grin spread across his face. Anna was indeed lying on the sofa, one arm thrown out in sleep, the other resting on her stomach, loose hair tumbling everywhere. What had Harry grinning, however, was the other person lying on the sofa with her. Professor Snape's arm was wrapped around her waist, and the other was lying by his side. She was curled up against him. A faint smile tinged both of their faces. It looked very cute. And peaceful.

Silently, so as not to wake them, Harry snuck over to the door and disappeared out of it. It really was a beautiful day, he thought amiably, as he walked unhurried through the corridors. He spotted Nearly-Headless Nick, and strolled over to chat.

"Hey, Nick!" he grinned. The melancholy ghost turned, and a small smile lit up his countenance.

"Master Potter! How are you on this fine day?"

"Well, thanks Nick." Harry thought of Anna and Professor Snape. "Very well."

"I am glad to hear it. Tell me, what are you going to do today? I am in need of a guide, you see."

"A guide?" Harry asked in interest. The ghost nodded solemnly.

"Aye, a guide. I have no idea, you see, how to get to the fifth floor. I've never been up there. I stay mostly on the third and second floors apart from at meal time."

"I can show you." Harry and the ghost began to walk away, chatting warmly. Nick was in a gloomy mood, as ever, but by the end of the trip Harry had managed to cheer him up a little. They reached the staircase, and Nick turned with a cheery wave.

"Fare thee well, Master Potter. Thank you." And then he was gone. Shaking his head in amusement, Harry hurried down to the hall, hoping to catch some breakfast as he hadn't wanted to call the house elves. He slipped inside, and spotted his uncle at the main table. To his relief he didn't seem to be the only late one, as there were still teachers only just sitting down.

"Harry! What brings you here on this fine day at this time?" Dumbledore asked. Harry laughed, sitting next to Remus who was smiling slightly.

"Anna's asleep, sir, and I didn't want to wake her. So I came down here."

"Aah. And have you, by any chance, seen Sir Nicholas on your wanderings?"

Harry helped himself to orange juice. "Yes, sir. I showed him up to the fifth floor, as a matter of fact. He seemed to have business there."

"Hmm." Dumbledore nodded amiably, turning away, and Harry grabbed a bacon sandwich. Beside him, Remus chuckled.

"Hungry, cub?"

"Starving. I have my first Potions lesson today, and Anna's teaching me to do a protection spell, _and _I'm flying with Fred and George!"

"Looks like someone's busy." Minerva commented with a small smile. "Whereas I am grading papers and getting ready to visit the muggle borns."

"Visit the muggle borns?" Harry asked, mystified. His half-eaten bacon sandwich lay forgotten on his plate, and Fawkes took the opportunity to steal it and gulp it down. Harry glared at him half-heartedly, but gave up as the phoenix looked unrepentant.

"Yes, Harry. You know that some witches and wizards come from muggle families, and so sometimes we need to go and validate the letter we sent out. It's very tiring, but interesting. I have twenty to go to this year."

"Can I come?" Harry asked excitedly. Minerva smiled warmly.

"I don't see why not. You'll need to ask Anna, though. When she wakes up."

"Ok!" Harry grabbed an orange, waved at his uncle and ran out of the hall again, leaving a lot of smiles behind him. He hurried back down to his chambers, eating the orange as he went, and made it back in time to see Professor Snape leaving.

"Good morning!" he said chirpily, bouncing in. Both adults jumped, and Anna began to laugh. She had a faint blush tinting her cheeks, and Harry could see the same colouring on the Potions professor's cheeks. She pulled him into a hug, ruffling his hair.

"Morning, cub. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Anna." He returned the hug, before grinning up at the taller man who was watching. "What time would you like me to come down to the potions classroom, sir?"

"About one, Harry. You need to wear mucky clothes."

"Yes, sir." Harry smiled in excitement, before spinning around to face Anna. The next question came out in a rush.

"..." he paused for breath, "Please can I go? Please?"

"Whoa, slow down! What?" Anna laughed down at him. "You want to go visit the muggle borns with Minerva tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

"Well..." Anna looked at Professor Snape, who was leant against the fireplace, watching in amusement. "I should think that's ok. It's not particularly dangerous, is it Severus?"

"No, Anna." Professor Snape replied warmly, with a smile. "It's fine. One o'clock in my rooms, Harry." And then he flooed away in flash of green. Harry jumped up again.

"Can we learn the protection spell now?"

"In a minute. Somebody's excited today! Let me just get washed and changed."

* * *

"Right." Anna stood in the middle of the training room, looking out of the window. Her hair was tied up high in a bun, with couple of strands tumbling free. She looked relaxed, wearing a loose white shirt and jeans. "I'm actually going to teach you two types of shield. One is a spell, and one isn't. Ok?"

"Yes." Harry swallowed nervously. The excitement had gone now, replaced with nerves. Anna grinned warmly at him.

"Don't be nervous. Right, I'll teach you the spell first because that will only take one lesson. The incantation is 'Protego.' Just say it first."

"Protego." Harry said bravely. Anna smiled at him again, and he relaxed. "Protego!"

"That's it. Now, the wand movement is basically a swish, like this," she demonstrated, swishing her wand slowly though the air. "Now you try."

Harry felt his wand move of its own accord, and saw Anna's pleased smile. "That's it, cub. Now, you might want to stand back a bit and watch me."

Harry stepped back, and watched as she gracefully spun around, swishing her wand. "_Protego_!"

A shining silver shield appeared in the middle of the room, humming softly. The force of it was so strong that Harry felt his hair lift from his brow, and a small wind whistle past his ears. Anna banished the spell with a flick of her wand, and motioned for him to come into the middle of the room.

"Your turn. Don't worry if you can't do it first time – it is a third year spell, after all. Try thinking of wanting to protect someone."

Harry took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He tried to swish his wand, but the words just seemed hollow. Then, an image sprung up of earlier that morning, of Anna and Professor Snape on the sofa, asleep. He felt an overwhelming surge of warmth and protection and opened his eyes.

"_Protego_!" he yelled, and watched, partly in happiness and partly in amazement as a blue shield sprung up, singing warmly. The force once again ruffled his hair. Its speed surprised Anna, who was thrown backwards across the room, wand clattering to the floor. Luckily, she managed to cast a wandless cushioning charm before she hit the wall opposite, and stood gracefully. A large smile graced her face as she held out her hand, wand zooming into it.

"Amazing, Harry. Amazing. I've never seen anyone do it that well on the first try– not even Dumbledore." And she was speaking the truth. "Now," she seemed a little shaken, "let's try the other shield." She motioned for him to sit down on the floor, and sat cross legged opposite him. He smiled. So it was like a theory shield. He was sure that, if it had been anyone else, doing theory would be very boring but with Anna somehow it wasn't.

"Right, this particular sort of shield has a name. It's called Occlumency."

"Occ-loo-men-see." Harry tried out the word. It sounded mysterious.

"Right." Anna smiled at him. "Do you remember, when you stayed with the Dursleys, ever reading any muggle books about magic?"

"I didn't read at the Dursleys. They didn't keep any books." Harry corrected her quietly. "But at school I did."

"Do you ever remember reading about evil people who could read minds?" Anna asked, scowling slightly. She grinned at the look of surprise at his face.

"You mean that you actually can read minds?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Yes. I can, and so can some other people, including Severus and Professor Dumbedore."

"Professor Snape can read minds?" Harry asked nervously. Anna laughed, and he relaxed.

"Yes, Professor Snape can read minds. But he doesn't do it all the time, because it is very rude to read someone's mind without permission. He only does it if he has to."

"Is that what Occlumency is? Read people's minds? I thought we were going to do a shield?" Harry frowned, confused.

"We are. We're going to shield against people who can use Occlumency, so that no-one can read your mind."

Swallowing nervously, Harry nodded. He shifted uncomfortably. "What do I do?"

"Well, for a start, relax. This will take a little while. It took me four weeks, but judging by how powerful you are I reckon it should only take you at most two months."

"_Only?_"

"Harry, it took Severus a month and he was sixteen. I was seventeen when I learnt. It took Remi nearly half a year."

"Oh."

"Now, this is what we're going to do. Every morning, I want you to get up and come in here before you have breakfast. I'll be here, and I'm going to teach you something which should help with your Occluding and with your fighting."

"So we won't actually be learning to Occlude?"

"Not yet. Maybe in a couple of week's time. Now, what do you say to a quick duel?"

"Ok!" Harry leapt to his feet, excited. He loved duelling with Anna, not just because she was amazing but because she let him try out the things he had been taught. He never won, of course, but it was fun anyway.

Anna conjured up a couple of rocks and a tree to hide behind. Harry pulled his wand from his pocket, and the two of them bowed to each other. Then, Harry turned and sprinted for a rock. He ducked behind it just in time, as Anna's tickling hex soared past. He knew better than to try and duel in the open. He stuck his head around the rock, and cast an echoing charm behind her, and then threw a bubble charm. It exploded, hit the echoing charm and multiplied until the room was full of bubbles. He could hear Anna chuckling, and peered out to see her vanishing them. He took careful aim, and fired off a couple of tickling hexes. They narrowly missed and got her attention, and he had to sprint for another rock as the one behind him exploded. Anna chased him around the room, the two of them laughing and teasing each other until Harry tripped and fell. He cast a cushioning charm, and then Anna was stood over him, grinning.

"I win!" she teased.

"No you don't!" Another voice came from behind her. Anna spun around, but she was too slow and Professor Snape's tickling hex hit her on the arm. She collapsed in laughter as he strode into the room, helping Harry to his feet. Both grinned as he leant over her, waited until the charm wore off and then offered her a hand.

"Need some help?"

"Only you, Severus Snape, could get away with that." She responded, shaking her head at him but taking the offered hand. He smirked, and wrapped his arm around her waist, smiling warmly at Harry.

"So, Harry, what was Anna teaching you today?"

"Occlumency and a shield spell." Harry replied quickly. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Occlumency?"

"I don't trust Albus." Anna replied quietly. "He's changed. He's not the man I once knew." And then, to keep the sombre atmosphere from settling, she said, "Why don't you show Severus your shield spell, Harry? It's amazing."

"Ok." Harry replied, a little shy. Turning away, he summoned up the earlier image and waved his wand. "_Protego_!"

The force of the spell threw him backwards, and it was only Professor Snape's quick reflexes which stopped him from hitting the wall. The man held him tight and banished the spell gently.

"I believe you, Anna." He smiled at her, and then at Harry. "That is amazing, Harry. I wonder if you will be just as amazing this afternoon, hmm?"


	17. Promises and Threats

Anna sat at her desk, idly twirling her wand around her fingers. The sun was still shining which only made her more annoyed. She wanted to be outside, having fun, playing with Harry, or even working. Not sat in her office waiting for Alastor. Although, granted, it was nearly the end of her day. Roused from her contemplation by a soft knock, Anna straightened up and slipped her wand into her sleeve.

"Come in."

She didn't even need to look to tell who it was, as there was a soft crash and an annoyed huff. Tonks picked herself up gingerly, rubbing her arm, and then straightened out the chair she had just walked into. Sheepishly, she then sat in the chair opposite Anna's desk, losing a little of the embarrassed look on her face as Anna stopped laughing at her antics.

"Hi, Anna."

"Tonks." Anna replied, placing her wand back down on the table. The younger woman (whose hair Anna noted was just losing its embarrassed red tips) grinned up at her.

"I came to ask about patrols."

"Hmm, well... if you stick around, Alastor..." Anna started. There was a crash and a bang and both women were standing with their wands pointed at the grizzled older Auror who was standing in the doorway, wand out. He huffed in annoyance, and took a seat next to Tonks.

"...is about to come and discuss them with me." Anna finished, sitting back down. She turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Why the frustrated face, Alastor? Just because you've left me alone all afternoon doesn't automatically mean I go to sleep, you know."

A half-smile graced the older man's face before it resumed its originally sombre expression. "Never, Anna. If anyone is going to be caught asleep in this building it's those Brochure workers. At least seven of them were sleeping at their desks as I passed. On top of the latest Restricted material, I tell you! No, this is about patrols. I need someone to do Diagon and Knockturn Alley tonight."

"I will!" Tonks grinned eagerly. Alastor opened his mouth, but Anna cut him short.

"No, you won't." Both looked surprised, Tonks a little offended, so she explained quickly. "It's not that you're not a good Auror, Tonks – you're the best in the department – but you have little experience and I don't want you to get your first experience of patrolling being bitten by Greyback or being ambushed by Death Eaters. It's not exactly a great way to start."

There was silence. She could see Alastor's expression out of the corner of her eye. Her first patrol had ended up with her covered in bruises and being bitten twice. He still felt guilty about tit, she knew. Greyback's vendetta against her didn't help. She half expected Tonks to argue, but her reply surprised her.

"But what about you? It's not ok for me to get attacked by twelve Death Eaters or bitten, but it is ok for you?"

"Yes." she replied quietly. "It is. Or rather, it has less impact on me than you. Greyback biting me won't make a jot of difference to my current situation and being ambushed by twelve Death Eaters is fine – I'm used to fighting them." Tonks looked mutinous, but Alastor broke in.

"Leave it." He advised the younger Auror. "She's so stubborn, she won't listen."

"However, I could do with a partner to patrol with me in a couple of nights time at the Ministry." Anna added quietly. Tonks jumped up, excitement in her eyes.

"Could I? If you don't mind, of course."

"I don't see why not." she shared a quick glance with Alastor, who was watching impassively. However, she knew him enough to see the tiny glimmer of approval in his eyes. Tonks was grinning wildly as she thanked her profusely and then meandered from the room, righting Anna's furniture as she went. As soon as the door had shut behind the younger woman, Alastor visibly relaxed and real worry darkened his eyes.

"You shouldn't be patrolling the Alleys on your own. They're a potential death trap, Anna."

"Just leave it, Alastor. You're not going to change my mind. You said you needed someone." Anna reached into her draw and pulled out some chocolate, snapping a little off. Alastor was glaring at her, but grudgingly accepted the square she held out. Chocolate. His only weakness. She nibbled at the corner of hers contemplatively, avoiding his eyes. She didn't need to look to see his expression. He was still worried.

"Anna, the last time you patrolled you were attacked by ten Death Eaters..."

"...and escaped without a scratch." She interrupted firmly, lying between her teeth.

"And you're right, I said I needed someone but I meant for you to pick a couple of people, not for you to do it on your own." He carried on, oblivious.

"Alastor, no-one else can. Just leave it. Please." She sighed, waiting for the outburst. She didn't have to wait long.

"Damm it, Anna, I won't!" he roared suddenly, standing up. "The Death Eaters have a vendetta against you, Fenrir Greyback spends most of his waking hours and probably many of his sleeping ones dreaming about how he's going to kill you, and you're asking me to let you patrol on your own at ten o'clock at night?"

His next words were spoken so quietly, it was only because of her unusually good hearing that she managed to hear it. "_I've already lost one daughter, Anna. Don't let me lose another._"

"You think of me as a daughter?" she asked, getting up and walking around the edge of the desk. He said nothing, just scrutinised her carefully from his position behind her desk. Tentatively, she looked up into his eyes and then felt a warm feeling spread from her stomach up as he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. One electric blue eye and one deep grey eye moved over her face, resting on her hair, her forehead, her eyes. He pulled her close, resting his head on hers.

"Yes." He whispered. "Yes. I do."

* * *

Nervously, Harry clutched his bag tightly in one hand, threading the familiar material through his fingers. He was perched on the edge of the sofa, staring into the sofa, waiting for Professor Snape to come and pick him up. Anna was out patrolling tonight, and Uncle Remi couldn't have him, so Professor Snape had offered to look after him for one evening. Harry swallowed, looking at his feet. _It'll be fine. But what if I have a nightmare?_

"Harry?" A soft voice asked. He jumped, and looked around before realising the voice was coming from the fire. Professor Snape's face was floating in the ashes, and Harry knelt on the floor next to the fire in order to see properly.

"Professor?"

"Mr Potter. Have you got anything to occupy yourself?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Good." The Professor's face vanished and Harry wriggled backwards, standing hesitantly as the fire roared and Professor Snape stepped through. He was dressed loosely in a white shirt and black trousers, but he still looked quite intimidating to Harry. The feeling lessened slightly as the taller man knelt down.

"Good evening, Mr Potter. Now then, have you flooed before?"

"Yes, sir. With Anna and Uncle Remi."

"Good." The Professor held out a hand, indicating for Harry to take it. He did so, noting how warm the man's hand was, and how gentle. The professor led him over to the fire, and tossed a bit of floo powder in. Then, he gracefully led Harry into the flames and they began to spin. Harry squeezed his eyes tight shut. He didn't think he'd ever get used to moving around by floo.

There was a soft whoosh, and then Harry stumbled out of the fire, coughing. A hand prevented him from falling over and pressed a vial into his hand. Harry unstoppered it and drank it in one gulp – and then wondered whether he should have, whether he should have checked first. _Don't be silly. It's Professor Snape. But look what trusting Uncle Vernon got you_. Gradually the itchiness stopped and his eyes stopped watering, and he smiled gratefully at the professor. In answer, he indicated for Harry to follow him across the small living room and into another room.

The entirety of Professor Snape's rooms seemed to be neutral coloured, Harry decided, as was this small guest room. He left his bag on the bed and took out the story book Remus had bought for him. Shyly, he slipped back into the living room to find the Professor waiting for him.

"Is the room to your satisfaction, Mr Potter?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." The professor noticed the book in his hand. "What're you reading?"

"Tales of Beedle the Bard." Harry held the book up for inspection. Professor Snape read the cover briefly, and then nodded.

"Would you like to read in here or in your room? Your potion, by the way, was perfect. I've bottled it and it will no doubt be used to good effect."

"Thank you, sir. And I would rather read in here, if you don't mind." Harry replied shyly.

In answer the Professor gestured to the couch, so Harry nervously seated himself at one end, perched on the edge of the seat and sat stiffly upright. Opening the book, it wasn't long before he became engrossed in the story of the Hopping Pot and had relaxed against the smooth leather, completely oblivious to the amused and slightly pleased Professor as he graded student's essays.

* * *

Anna apparated into Diagon Alley with a sharp crack, smiling as the warm evening air rushed in, blowing her hair back slightly. All was quiet, calm, with the occasional hoot of an owl or bout of laughter from a pub. She sighed, and began strolling up the street, boots tapping occasionally on the pavement, robes flapping around her ankles. There were no disturbances at all as she reached the end, catching Ollivander just as he was shutting his shop down. The willowy old man bestowed one of his rare smiles on her as she walked over. Warm silver eyes held hers in familiar intensity.

"Anna Lupin! On patrol, I believe?"

"That's right."

"And how is young Mr Potter?" The old man asked, leaning against the doorframe. In all honesty, it was quite difficult to tell exactly how old Ollivander was. He looked about sixty, acted about eighty but his eyes gave away the knowledge of someone three times that. Anna grinned.

"Very well. He's coming on amazingly with the magic – he produced a practically perfect shield charm this morning."

"Did he, indeed? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Miss Evans's talent, I should think. Now then, Anna, how about you drop by again in another hour and I'll have a flask of cocoa ready for you." Only for her did his slight accent come out. He had spent his years before Hogwarts in Scotland and Ireland, and then had spent many of his Hogwarts years trying to hide the accent which was a mix between the two. It was a warm, friendly accent with the slightest perceivable stress on some words and he used certain expressions which made her chuckle inwardly. She smiled and hugged him tightly. He was still taller than her, even though he was a good sixty years older.

"Thank you, Ollivander. You are very kind."

"Think nothing of it, my dear." He retreated back inside the shop and Anna continued on her way down the street, smiling at the odd passerby. The wind rustled the leaves of a nearby tree, and a small crack had her on alert immediately. She easily disarmed the trainee Death Eater who stood foolishly in the shadows of an alley. He hadn't even time to fire a spell off before she sent him to a Ministry Holding Cell. Sighing, she continued on her way, making sure to comb the alley thoroughly and apprehending another Death Eater trainee before she warily made her way down another small alley that led to Knockturn Alley. Her least favourite street.

* * *

"Mr Potter, it is nine o'clock in the evening so I suggest you go to bed." A snide voice cut through Harry's reverie. Sighing, he unwillingly shut the book, marking the page with the bookmark, and then stood hesitantly. The Professor was stood over him, one eyebrow raised, and Harry nodded up at him tentatively, trying not to flinch.

"Yes, sir."

Then, bravely, just before he shut himself away in his room, he asked, "Do you know when Anna will be back, Professor?" He interpreted the Professor's silence as an angry one, and stepped back. "I just...it's just...I miss her."

"Harry..." Professor Snape walked over, kneeling in front of him. "I'm not angry at you. I can't tell you when Anna will be back, but I assure you that she is flooing straight to my quarters." Then, much quieter, "You aren't the only one who is worried about her."

"Thank you, sir." Harry hesitantly smiled at the man, and then retreated back into his rooms, calling through the door, "Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight, Harry." Professor Snape replied gently, before disappearing. Harry sighed softly, and changed into his pyjamas. The spare room was comfortable, calming, but he still tossed and turned for an hour before finally dropping off into a fitful sleep, unaware that the Professor sat at his desk, trying to resist the urge to go and check on him, to go and help him sleep.

* * *

Hesitantly, Anna stepped into the gloomy, shadowed street. All of her senses were on alert as she fingered the wand secreted up her sleeve. Cautiously, she walked down the left hand side of the street, flinching as a glass smashed and a cat howled. There was a rustle from nearby and a small, ferrety man crept out from the shadows, clutching a box. He obviously hadn't seen her, as he looked down the other way. Silently, she stepped up behind him, disarmed him and summoned the box.

"Do you mind telling me, Mr Rook, what you are doing creeping around Knockturn Alley at half past nine at night with what is clearly a very dark magical artefact clutched under your arm when I made it quite clear last time we met that curfew is at half past seven?"

"I were going home to me missus." The man muttered. "That be no cursed box." Although from the way his eyes shifted from her wand arm to the box, Anna knew he was lying.

"I don't believe you, Rook, and you know that very well. Now, I suggest you scarper quickly before I report you and have your licence taken. Do I make myself clear? What's this, your fifth attempt?"

He glared at her. "You can't do that."

"Oh, believe me," Anna pointed her wand straight at the bridge of his nose. His eyes crossed trying to follow it, "I can." Turning on her heel, she strode away, flinching impercievably as there were a series of loud crashes and bangs. Then silence. She pulled her cloak closer around herself and continued to check the street, sapphire eyes probing every corner.

Two hours later, Anna was satisfied that the streets were secure. Shaking out her hair, she knocked three times on Ollivander's door and slipped inside. The old man was sat in his customary armchair, thin-framed glasses perched precariously on the end of his nose. At her entrance his wand had zoomed into his hand and he flicked it once, summoning a cup of hot cocoa.

"Anna! Sit down, my dear. You must be exhausted."

"I'm alright." She sent him a grateful smile, sipping at the cocoa. It was delicious.

"Many Death Eaters tonight?" Ollivander asked, setting aside the newspaper.

"No." Anna frowned. "It was really quiet, actually. Too quiet. I caught two trainees and Rook in Knockturn Alley, but that's it."

"That _is _unusual. Perhaps they've given up trying to ambush you." The old man suggested with a twinkle. Anna laughed.

"I wish. It's more likely there'll be a whole contigent of them waiting for me to disapparate tonight."

"Be careful."

"I always am."

"I know." He sighed. "I know. Now then, tell me about young Harry..."

* * *

_He was running through a field of grass. He could hear the sea, a gentle, humming sound, and above him Hedwig was soaring. To his right, a golden pot hopped merrily. To his left, three women and a knight in rusted armour hurried by. Ahead, he could see a beautiful white horse, with deep black eyes. Tentatively, he stepped nearer and reached out a hand. At once, the scene changed and Harry panicked._

_He was in a dark room with walls that seemed to press in on him, and ceiling that was pressing down. He couldn't breathe, and began to gasp for air. I'm in my cupboard, he thought, and pushed at the place where the door should have been. It opened, and he tumbled out. A harsh voice began yelling at him, and he looked up. Uncle Vernon was towering over him, hand raised. He hit Harry across the face, and grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off the floor. Harry dangled, helpless, gasping for breath again. Vernon let him go, and then pushed him against the wall. He punched Harry hard in the chest, and then again in the stomach before letting him drop to the floor. Harry curled up, protecting his head as Vernon kicked him again and again._

"_Please..." he whimpered, "Please stop, Uncle. Please don't hurt me. Please..." he cried out as a large fist connected with his head and another on his shoulder. The blows came faster and heavier, and he began to sob as he was manhandled into the living room, and thrown onto the floor. Vernon continued to hit him as Dudley laughed and Aunt Petunia just looked at him with loathing in her eyes..._

* * *

"Well, thank you Ollivander. Now, I must be going or Severus will worry." Anna rose, hugging the old man warmly. Ollivander smiled at her, standing and leading her to the door.

"Do not mention it, my dear. Now then, be careful."

"I will." Anna pulled her hood up over her head, made sure she had her wand and then slipped out into the night. She turned to wave to Ollivander, who smiled and then shut the door softly. One by one, the light in his house went out, leaving the street in almost total darkness. Anna shivered and began to walk away up the street, heading for the apparition point. All was quiet. All was calm.

Then, there was a crack from behind her. Anna whipped around, to see a sheet of fire racing towards her. She swore, and tried to counteract it, recognising it immediately. _FiendFyre. _She began to run, heading for the alleyway, and threw herself into it just in time. She watched the lions and chimeras leap past, and the heat lit up her face. The fire didn't seem to have destroyed any of the houses – it seemed to be contained by something.

A grey blur shot past her. Anna turned, wand at the ready, to find the alleyway empty. She immediately cast a shield charm and a revealing charm. Nothing. Cautiously, she stepped back out into the street. When nothing else happened, she hurried to the apparition point. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to spin on the spot.

And then a cool, clammy arm wrapped around her throat. "Don't move." A voice whispered, inches from her ear. "Or else you will die."

**Phew! Right then, another chapter done! the next one should be done for Christmas! Thanks for the reviews, and sorry about the cliffie!**


	18. Of Spirits and Comfort

_**Hiya, my wonderful readers! Thank you for all the reviews!**_

_**There isn't any Anna and Severus interaction in this one, but this story is about Harry as well and for future plans Sevvie needs to be nice to him *evil grin* There's plenty in the next chapter, although it wont be posted for a little while...**_

_**Also *ALERT AERT I WILL BE CHANGING MY NAME TO CALANTHE ELLEPHI* so I'm not a random new per**__**son. Now... enjoy!**_

_

* * *

_

Harry was stood in the kitchen, perched precariously on a stool as he cooked the bacon. The sun had barely set, so beautiful amber rays still shone in through the window.

_There was a loud crash from behind him and Dudley hurtled in, knocking Harry against the stove. The small boy gave an unperceivable hiss of pain as his arm knocked against the cooker, burning the skin. Gritting his teeth, he continued to work. Maybe he could sneak into the bathroom later and hold it under the tap for a bit. If not, he could go and use the hose outside. He cast a glance at the freezing weather, his heart sinking. _

"_Where's Dinner?" Dudley demanded loudly. Harry muttered that it was nearly ready. And then there was a sharp jabbing pain in the small of his back, and he could feel warm blood trickling down from the place where Dudley had just dug the knife in. _

"_Well, do it faster!"_

_Harry was concentrating so hard on the pain in his back, he forgot about the bacon. A burning smell alerted him to its blackened, inedible state, and then there was a loud crash and a yell and Dudley was standing over the shattered remains of dinner, his ugly face twisted in a smirk. Then, he began to yell loudly, his eyes never leaving Harry's face._

"_Mummy! Daddy! He's ruined the dinner!"_

_Harry jumped off the stool as Vernon strode in, backing away until his back was pressed against the over. His arm and back hurt like hell, but he was sure what was about to happen would be even more painful._

"_**What **__did you do, boy?"_

"_He knocked it onto the floor!" Dudley wailed. "I'm __**hungry**__!"_

"_You useless piece of filth!" Vernon took two strides across the room and grabbed Harry by his injured arm. He let out a small moan of pain as the taller man began dragging him out of the kitchen and up the stairs. His hands went sweaty. Oh no. God, please god, please... He was thrown forcefully through a door and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor as Vernon slammed the door behind him. Harry tried to shuffle away as Vernon advanced angrily._

"_How dare you? How __**dare **__you?"_

"_Please, Uncle." Harry sobbed. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, please don't hit me, please..." A fist connected with his head, and another with his chest. Harry held up his arm, trying to protect himself, and felt the bone snap as he was thrown roughly against the floor and his arm twisted to an awkward position. He curled up, absorbing the blows. At the end his chest, arms and head felt as if they had been trampled on, and then Vernon grasped the back of his shirt, hauling him up._

"_Get up, Boy!"_

_Harry tried to stand, trembling violently. Vernon grabbed him, and slammed him against the wall..._

_

* * *

_

"Give me your wand." The voice hissed. Black spots were beginning to dance in Anna's vision as she reached up her sleeve, drawing her wand. Taking a deep breath, she flicked it and the arm vanished. She stumbled away, shook her head, and then began to run. However, hands grasped her arms and forced her against the wall. Her wand clattered to the floor and Anna looked up into the slightly shadowed, grinning face of Fenrir Greyback. She swallowed slightly, and then straightened bravely.

"Why hello, Fenrir. I was starting to get worried you wouldn't come."

"I'm never late for a scheduled meeting. Or a date, for that matter." Greyback smirked down at her, pushing her harder into the wall.

"You think _this _is a _date_?" Anna laughed harshly. "I would never date you, Fenrir, and you know perfectly well why."

"What, you mean apart from having bitten your brother, killed hundreds, turned hundreds, and having attempted to kill you every month for the last eleven years?" He grinned wolfishly. "Although, I must say it pains me that I cannot turn you. Your blood is sweet, Anna. The sweetest I've ever tasted."

He traced a finger over her cheek and then down the soft skin of her neck, the yellow nail pressing in. Anna swallowed slightly and tried to push him away as his hand got dangerously near to the hem of her shirt. He only laughed, withdrawing his hand. "You forget, love. It's nearly full moon. Only a week now. And you know how strong I am."

"Have you ever let me forget it?" Anna asked sarcastically, thinking back to the many occasions when she had been forced to try to outrun him – both in wolf and human form.

"Of course not. Now then, why the hurry?" Fenrir asked, leaning nearer. She leant back until her entire body was pressed against the wall.

"I don't enjoy our little 'meetings' as you very well know, Fenrir."

"Oh, really? What a shame." He laughed deeply, seizing a handful of her hair as he leant nearer. Anna shoved him away and then kicked him, and then he was fighting back, laughing all the while. Then again, she wasn't a master at judo for nothing, and soon he sported as many cuts and bruises as she did. She kicked him again, and he reared forwards, throwing them both against the wall. He was panting hard, eyes fixed on hers.

"Well, that was fun." He breathed, mouth inches from her ear. "You do realise I only beat you because your side and back are still playing up from our last meeting?"

"I know." She whispered. He laughed harshly, and she felt his hand move up her side, grasping her arm firmly. He twisted it behind her back, and then forced her to her knees. She struggled the entire time and he ended up having to push her against the wall.

"Feisty, aren't we?"

"You know me, Fenrir. I don't give up easily." Anna smirked twistedly at him, lifting her leg and kicking him hard. He was thrown backwards and she used the wall to hoist herself to her feet. She took two steps, and then there was a sharp pain in her lower back and she collapsed against the wall, panting hard. A hand seized her chin, twisting it upwards, and Fenrir leant closer, grinning again.

"That's the Anna I like to see. I do still own a wand, you know." Anna cursed as he brought said wand up, poking it against her throat. One whispered command and it became a knife, the cool blade pressed into her skin. "Or maybe I don't."

"What do you want this time, Fenrir?" Anna asked, swallowing as the knife tip traced a heart over her shoulder blade. He grinned.

"What do you think I want, _Doushka_?"

"Don't say that." Anna hissed angrily up at him. The ferocity in her face made even him flinch slightly.

"Ooooh, Have I hit a nerve, perhaps?"

"Y-e-es." Anna struggled against him, trying to grab her wand. He forced her back again, and then his eyes changed.

"I'm getting bored." He snarled, and Anna felt the knife dig into her throat, drawing blood. Both of them looked down, watching the small red stream trickle downwards. It reached his hand, and he raised a finger, licking it. Then, his eyes snapped up to meet hers, and Anna struggled harder than ever, knowing what was coming. He leant near, and whispered into her ear,

"This time, I win."

* * *

Severus Snape had always been a light sleeper, something he thanked god for as he drew his wand. Harry's cries had subsided, but he pushed the door open anyway, letting the golden light shine on the bed. His gaze was held by the writhing figure, sheets twisted around them in a small cocoon. Tears streaked Harry's face, intermingling with the sweaty strands of hair plastered across his face. He was deathly white and trembling, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he curled up into a ball, knees tucked to his chest.

"Please Uncle Vernon...don't hurt me..."

"Mr Potter." He said quietly, standing next to the bed. He watched as Harry flinched away, the cries coming faster and more urgently as he trembled.

"No...please..._please..._" the last word was a cry as Harry curled up again. Leaning over him, Severus gently stroked the hair away from his face, wiping away his tears. He looked so small, so helpless. "Harry, it's ok. You're fine, he's not here..."

"Not here...?" the boy mumbled, frowning. Suddenly, he screamed out loud, whether from pain or terror he didn't know.

"Please, I'll do anything...no...please...no..." Harry begged. Stroking the hair away from his face again, Severus sat on the edge of the bed and reached out, taking both of Harry's shoulders. The small boy began to shake, shrinking in Severus' hands and trying to break away. Completely used to what Harry was going through, he hesitantly pulled the small, shaking body to him, wrapping his arms around the boy as he gently began to rock him back and forth. He felt Harry relax against him, and then watched in relief as his eyelids fluttered and opened.

"P-P-Professor?"

And then his arms were full of sobbing child as Harry curled in up his arms, burying his head in Severus' shirt. He resumed rocking the boy, his insides in turmoil. _When was the last time I held a child? As a matter of fact, when was the last time I held anyone? _At the same time, he was trying to work out what sort of nightmare would have affected Harry so badly.

"Did you have a nightmare, Harry?" he asked gently. The small boy shook his head violently, head still buried in Severus' shirt. "You don't have to deny it, you know. I get them all the time."

"It wasn't a nightmare." Harry whispered. "It was a memory." And Severus decided that he had never hated anyone in his life with the amount of loathing and contempt in which he now held Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked softly.

"No, sir." Harry shook his head again. "But I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep again."

"That is easily remedied." Severus smiled slightly, removing his wand from the table where he had set it down quickly. He flicked it, and seconds later a cup of hot chocolate and a small clear vial zoomed into the room. He passed the cup to Harry and stored the vial in his pocket. Harry's eyes followed it nervously, but then he smiled as he sipped the chocolate.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Severus." Severus said quietly, looking straight at the boy. "Call me Severus. After all, I technically am not your Professor."

Harry sent him a beautiful smile reminiscent of Lily. It made his heart warm. "Ok, s...Severus." The boy said his name carefully, slowly, as if he were trying it out. Severus realised he was staring at his hands, and looked up at Harry, smiling slightly.

"Now then, tell me about this memory. I am a firm believer in not keeping things bottled up. Believe me, Harry, it doesn't work." _Hypocrite._

"Is that what you used to do?" Harry asked. Damn it, the boy was too perceptive, too quick for his years.

"Yes." He replied quietly. "I did." _Liar. _He could imagine Anna's voice. _Don't beat yourself up, Severus. But don't lie, either._

"I was in my...the...cupboard, and there was someone yelling at me through the door. When I got out, my Uncle was angry because I was late for making dinner, and he hit me a bit."

"A bit?" Severus asked quietly, sitting next to Harry properly on the bed.

"Well, a bit more than usual. But it was my fault anyway." Harry acknowledged. "When he had finished hitting me, I went into the kitchen to make dinner. Dudley came in, and because he runs... he didn't stop fast enough and I burnt my arm on the cooker. He was hungry so in an effort to get me to cook faster he jabbed a knife into my back..."

"Drawing blood?" Severus stated. He had spotted the small, silvery scar at the base of Harry's spine when he had healed him. Harry winced, biting his lip.

"It hurt quite a bit, and I was concentrating more on the pain than the dinner and it was burning, and then Dudley threw it onto the floor and told Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon I had thrown it there."

Severus reversed a little bit more of his contempt so that it focused now on one Dudley Dursley. _Perhaps I should pay the Dursleys a visit. They certainly deserve it. And I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to convince Peeves to come too..._

"So Uncle Vernon took me upstairs." Harry came to halt suddenly, hiding his face. Severus frowned. _What was so bad about going upstairs? _The small boy was shaking badly, and seemed in no fit state to tell him anything else.

"Harry." Severus said quietly. Emerald eyes, slightly red-rimmed, met his. "Anna has told you about Occlumency and Legilimency?"

"Yes." Harry looked worried. "She said you can read minds."

"I can. Some people use that to do bad things, like forcing people to tell them what they don't want to. However, what _I _do is to see your memories with you, which means you don't need to tell me what happens. It tends to help with nightmares, too." Severus chose his words carefully. He didn't want to scare Harry. Merlin knows the child was frightened enough as it was.

"Really?" Harry asked in interest, relaxing a bit.

"Really. Now, will you let me see your nightmare?"

"Will it hurt?"

"No. Not a bit. All you have to do is look at me."

The small boy swallowed, and then resolutely looked up. Straight into Severus' eyes. At once, a wave of shock washed over him as he realised exactly how alike Lily and Harry's eyes were. He forced himself to bury that thought, and whispered one word.

"_Legilimens_."

* * *

Ruby red rivers stained the cobbles of the side street, twisting and twirling in a strange, slavonic dance. Anna watched them progress across the slate, until her vision was blocked. Greyback had turned away, satisfied for a moment. Blood dripped from his chin and his hands, still morphing back from claws. Half-heartedly, Anna tried to move. The pain, which had before turned to a dull throbbing, came back, stabbing at her nerves. She could feel the blood dripping from her neck, and from her shoulder. Her back felt as if it was on fire. Accidentally, her hand brushed against her pendant, and there was a soft whoosh as if someone had appeared.

_Vanish._

She jumped, looking around wildly. No-one else was in the alley, and Greyback was still turned away.

_Vanish, Doushka. Vanish._

"What? She whispered inpercievably, so quiet that the calm was barely disturbed.

_Vanish. Use what I told you, Doushka. Don't let him get the better of you._

"Oisin?" Anna's cracked voice was a little louder, although still not enough to alert Greyback. "Oisin Caol?"

_The very same._

"Why can't I see you?"

_I am a spirit, foolish child. Have you forgotten?_

"Of course." Anna shut her eyes, slowly shutting down her senses. The regular noises of the alley rushed away, until only the steady thrumming of her heart reassured her. Then, her feeling was gone. Worry left a bitter taste in her mouth, so she took a deep breath, calming herself. When she opened her eyes, she was gone. She wasn't invisible. She just wasn_'_t _there_. She looked down at her hands, but couldn't see them.

_You get better and better every time I see you._

"Do you see me often?"

_All the time, little one. All the time._

Slowly, painfully, Anna managed to get to her feet. She leant against the wall, breathing hard. The pain was overwhelming. She wasn't sure she'd even make it to the end of the Alley, let alone to Severus' chambers.

_Walk with me. I will guide you._

"As you wish." Anna stumbled forwards, wearily placing one foot in front of the other as she looked around. She could feel something, something just tangible, there but not there. Pointing her wand over her shoulder as she walked, she cast a catching charm. Hopefully it would annoy Greyback for a bit as well as distracting him from any foolhardy passer-by until tomorrow morning.

_That feeling is my presence. Do not fear, my child. He cannot see you._

"Can he hear me?"

_No. To him, you have just gone, leaving no trace. He shall search, but will find nothing._

"Oisin?"

_Yes, Doushka?_

"Why me?"

_There are many possible answers to that, my love. _

"Since when did you become so wise?" she teased.

_Since I died. _The voice replied, a slight hint of amusement tingeing the warm syllables.

"You knew, didn't you? That's why you gave me the pendant."

_I had an idea, and inkling this may happen. Don't give up, Annoushka. Never give up. Think of your little boy. Think of your lover._

Anna smiled as she felt Oisin's hand drift across her cheek once more, for the last time. The spirit of the boy she had known and played with as a child before he died. And then there was a second whoosh, and she knew she was alone. Whether she had just dreamt it all, she didn't know, but either way, it had brought her closer to Severus. Taking a deep breath, she shakily stumbled into the Hogs Head, heading for the floo and for home. Behind her, a furious howl split the air as Fenrir Greyback realised his prey had got away. Again.

* * *

Severus surfaced from Harry's memories with a gasp, his hands shaking. What the Dursleys had done to the poor child didn't border on 'nice' or even 'tolerant.' It was, in absence of any other words, disgusting. How the child wasn't an emotional wreck he didn't know. He had better just be glad they hadn't touched him in that way.

Harry was crying silently, tears coursing down his cheeks, and Severus hesitantly pulled the boy to him, rubbing circles into his back. He felt Harry stiffen, and then he was curled up on Severus' lap, head buried in his chest. Unsure of what to do, Severus continued rocking him backwards and forwards, rubbing soothing circles onto the thin back. Slowly, Harry's sobs stopped and Severus eventually looked down, unwilling to let the small boy go.

What he found had him smiling in spite of himself. Harry had fallen asleep in his arms; head buried against his shirt, small, thin arms wrapped around both himself and Severus. Gently, he lifted Harry up and carried him around to the other side of the bed, depositing him gently under the covers. He stroked the boy's hair back from his forehead, then pulled the covers up over the thin frame until only the child's thin face showed. He lingered by the bedside, unwilling to leave. Finally, with a soft 'Goodnight, Harry' he left, closing the door slightly on the sleeping child.


	19. Black water and Twinkling Blue eyes

Anna stumbled into the Hogs Head, groaning slightly as several of her cuts rubbed against her cloak, sending shots of pain over her body. Her hand twitched, and she clenched her fist. The bite wound on her neck was almost blinding her with pain, and she knew that the left hand side of her body was soaked in blood.

"Who's there? No customers after closing time!" The barman hollered from where he was closing up. There was only one other person in the pub – someone very recognisable, even if he was turned away from her, drinking clasped in hand.

"Anna Lupin. I have a permit." She said as boldly as she could, leaning on the back of a chair for support. There was a derisive snort from behind the bar, and the other man turned around. Piercing blue eyes widened as they swept over her figure.

"I'll sort her out, Tom." He called.

"Alright. Sorry, Anna." Tom replied. The man got up slowly, eyes not wavering from hers as if when he broke contact she would fall. She managed a smile, looking down. Aberforth Dumbledore extended a hand.

"What do you need, Anna? And what the hell happened?"

"I need to floo to Hogwarts." Anna replied softly. Aberforth wrapped a warm arm around her, supporting her as he reached for the floo powder.

"Mind telling me what happened?"

"I was patrolling on my own." Anna replied shortly, not really in the mood to talk. Blue eyes widened even more, if possible, as they met hers.

"_Death Eaters _did this to you?"

"No." She laughed harshly, shutting her eyes momentarily as a wave of sickness washed over her. "Greyback did." Aberforth's eyes shot to her neck, where blood was still leaking onto her shirt.

"Will you be getting to the Hospital Wing?"

"I think so." Anna didn't bother telling him she was flooing to Severus' rooms.

"Alright. But I'm coming up to Hogwarts tomorrow to check on you, whether my brother likes it or not."

"Are you sure?" Anna winced as another shot of pain echoed down her spine. She was already feeling light-headed, but was more worried about Albus' reaction.

"Definite." Thin fingers caressed her cheek, and then he gently supported her towards the fire, throwing a handful of powder in. "Now, be careful."

She cracked a wry smile. "Aren't I always?"

"Yes." He sighed slightly, and then gently pushed her in, watching her begin to spin. She sent him one last grateful smile, and then whispered,

"Severus Snape's quarters, Hogwarts." There was a bright green flash, and then she collapsed out of the fire into a familiar room. There was a soft intake of breath from behind her, and then she felt gentle hands stroking the hair away from her face.

"Anna?"

"Severus." She whispered, fighting to stay in the room with him. She felt him pull her close, the heat from his chest soaking through her shirt. Soft hands tilted her chin up and poured a vial of potion into her mouth. It tasted disgusting and Anna pulled a face, opening her eyes.

Severus was staring down at her, black eyes wide. When hers opened, he raised an eyebrow slightly, and she sent him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise." He kissed her forehead gently, wrapping both arms around her. She relaxed, and then hissed as fiery tongues of pain flickered across her back.

"Hold on." He whispered, mouth inches from her ear. Even in her pain-filled state Anna still blushed a little as he kissed her cheek. Her stomach dropped as he lifted her up and she groaned slightly. He carried her across the room, and she shut her eyes and refused to open them again until she was laid down on a soft surface. Severus' gentle fingers began caressing her hair, running it between her fingers, and she relaxed. They were in a dark room lit by a single, flickering candle. She swallowed as she realised it was _his _room. His cloak was draped over a chair, and there were small piles of books everywhere. She caught a flash of colour out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head to follow it. She was lying on a patterned quiet, obviously knitted by a child. The colours varied from very deep blue to earthy brown and crimson red. It seemed familiar.

Severus was sat next to her, unstoppering vials and sniffing them to check they were labelled correctly. At her scrutiny he looked up, and black eyes filled with worry looked down into hers.

"What happened?" he asked, summoning a damp cloth as he began wiping away the congealed blood from her neck. She hissed softly in pain, and the other hand rested in her hair for a second, before resuming its previous occupation. Playing with her hair seemed to calm him as well as her.

"Had a run in with Greyback." She hissed again as his cloth caught the edge of her wound, and felt a slight hand on her forehead.

"You're running a fever."

"I know." Then, to keep her mind off the pain as Severus placed his wand against her neck, "I didn't know Lucius had a son."

"Draco. He's my godson. Why? Have you met him?" Severus asked gently, squeezing her hand when she groaned as the wound closed up. She nodded.

"Yes. A couple of days ago, at the Ministry. He ran into me. Literally."

Severus frowned, deft fingers unscrewing the lid of some balm. Anna caught the scent of oranges, and relaxed a little. Then jumped as he began rubbing it onto the jagged scar that remained. He laughed down at her, and she sent him a mock glare.

"It's cold!"

"Sorry. Shut your eyes – you'll feel better."

Obligingly Anna did so, seeking comfort in the darkness. She heard him screw the lid back on the balm, and one of his hands resumed stroking her hair as he pulled her shirt sideways, exposing her blood-soaked shoulder. She began to drift off, the pain-reliever and calming draught having done their work, lulled by his hands running alternatively through her hair and gently rubbing balm onto her shoulder. She was fast asleep when he finally finished healing her, breathing out softly as he looked down at her pale cheeks. He picked her up carefully and carried her around to the head of the bed, tucking her in having gently removed her boots and coat. Severus stroked her hair once more, making sure to run his fingers through the unruly strands before transfiguring an armchair and collapsing into it, eyes not wavering from her face.

"Goodnight, Anna."

Harry woke up, frowning as he tried to hold onto the last tendrils of his dream. Sighing, he sat up, and then groaned as he remembered the night's events. _That's weird. I remember Professor Snape looking at my nightmare, but I don't remember what happened after that. _Discretely, he lifted an arm and sniffed at his shirt. A faint spicy scent and a hint of thyme remained, and his eyes widened as he realised exactly what had happened. _He must have carried me back to bed. _

Hurriedly, Harry grabbed some clothes, washed, dressed, and was still tugging on his jumper when he slipped into the living room. A soft chuckle had him frozen in his tracks, and he looked up to see Anna smiling at him from the armchair next to the fire.

"Mum!" he cried, running over and hugging her tightly. Anna lifted him onto her lap and he leant against her happily, relaxing. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine now, cub. I had a run in with Greyback."

Harry turned around so that he was sat facing her. Completely serious emerald eyes gazed up into sapphire blue. "Were you hurt badly?"

"Yes." She replied softly. "But Severus sorted me out."

"Good." Harry frowned. "Where is he?"

"Asleep, I hope. He sat with me all night." The slightest softening of her eyes at Severus' name had Harry inwardly grinning with delight.

"He woke me 'cause I had a nightmare."

"Oh, Harry." Anna pulled him close again, resting her head on top of his. "Was it about your Uncle again?"

"Yes. But Severus used Legilimency on me, so I'm ok now."

"Severus used _Legilimency _on you? And does he know you call him by his first name?"

"Yes, he does – he asked me to. And he did use Legilimency on me – he said it always makes him feel better, and he was right. I felt much better. He was really angry for some reason, though."

"Probably at your Uncle, cub." Anna smiled slightly, before gently placing him back on the floor and getting up. "Right, I think I promised to teach you some Occluding, didn't I?"

"Will you be ok?" Harry asked, worried. She laughed again.

"I'll be fine. I do, however, need to leave Severus a note."

She summoned some paper and a quill, and quickly scrawled a note to Severus explaining where they had gone. Then, she held out a hand. "Coming, cub?"

"Yes, Mum." Harry grasped the offered hand and let her pull him into the fire. Arriving in their quarters, he was surprised to notice another door leading off the sitting room. "Was that there before?"

"Nah, cub. The castle added it last night – she asked me for permission."

"She?" Harry asked in interest, following Anna into the new room. He loved it immediately. Neutral coloured, its large window looked out over the Hogwarts lake. The sun was shining into the room, illuminating the beaten yet strangely beautiful ebony piano sat in the corner of the room. Anna gasped.

"I don't believe it!"

She walked over and Harry followed, watching her gently press her finger against one of the keys. A humming sound filled the room, and he watched Anna close her eyes and breathe in deeply.

"Mum?" he asked shyly. Anna opened her eyes and looked over at him.

"Sorry, cub. Here, come." She sat on a comfortable sofa and Harry sat next to her, enjoying the tranquillity of the room. "Right, explanations. What do you want to know?"

"What are we doing here? What are you going to teach me? How? Are you really ok? What did you mean when you called the castle 'she'? Whose is the piano? How come you've seen it before? Why..."

"Whoa!" Anna laughed at him, blue eyes sparkling. "As amazing as I may be, Harry, I can only answer one question at once."

"Sorry."

"That's ok. Well, we're here so I can teach you Occlumency. What we're going to do is start off with breathing exercises, and then slowly build up your mental walls. It should be good for your nightmares and balance as well. I really am fine, I promise. I just need to take it easy for a little while. I called the castle 'she' because her presence is female."

Harry, who up until that point had listened to all of the explanations attentatively, couldn't contain his questions. "Her _what_?"

"Basically, when you learn Occlumency properly you'll know how to recognise auras and presences. The castle has one, and it is female, as well as very gentle. When she talks to you to ask your permission, her voice is also female."

"Oh." Harry fell silent, pondering on that information and allowing Anna to continue.

"The piano is mine from when I was a child in Russia. It was given to me by my old piano teacher as a leaving present. I haven't seen it in ...oh, a good twelve years. That's why I was so surprised. The castle seems to have managed to spirit it away from wherever it was."

"Wow!" Harry couldn't help but talk again. "It's beautiful. It's a shame I can't play."

"Perhaps I'll teach you." Anna suggested with a twinkle in her eye.

"Please, Mum!" Harry hugged her tight, elicting a quiet laugh.

"Of course I will. You know, that's the fourth time you've called me Mum this morning." Anna murmured into his hair. Harry blushed. He hadn't even realised he was doing it.

"Sorry. It kind of comes naturally. I'll stop if you don't like it."

"Harry," Anna tilted his head up, "I'm fine with it. I've always wanted you to call me mum, but I wasn't sure whether you felt ok with it. It's like when I call you cub. That's kind of habit too."

Harry smiled happily, hugging her again. She laughed. "Right, what do you say to getting started on these breathing exercises? After all, you need to eat breakfast so Minerva can come and collect you at half nine. If we eat at half eight, that gives us just under an hour. Is that ok with you?"

"Yes!"

Anna led him to the centre of the room. "Now then, I want you to copy me, ok?"

Harry nodded, and watched her as she took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. He did the same, and immediately felt more relaxed. Anna grinned.

"Good, cub. Now, I want you to sit opposite me on the floor like this," she sat cross legged on the floor, arms resting in her lap. Harry copied her, and she smiled again. "Close your eyes, cub, and I want you to think of one of the four elements ... you know what they are, right?"

"Yes." Harry shut his eyes, surrounding himself in darkness. The first element he thought of was fire, hot and glowing, but then he felt and heard water lapping at him – almost as if he had a mini lake inside his head. It was the strangest feeling.

"What element have you thought of, cub?" Anna's gentle voice penetrated his sub-conscious. Harry smiled slightly.

"Water."

"Ok, well that immediately makes things a lot easier. I want you to visualise a barrier, Harry, but I want you to make it out of water."

Harry nodded, and felt Anna's hands rest on his shoulders, sitting him up straighter. He leant back against her, and began to visualise a shield. At first, he tried a vertical shield, but that didn't feel right. The horizontal lake felt a little better, and then Harry was struck by an idea. He pulled back the darkness he liked so much, and infused the water into it so that the shield was there, but not there, and had the consistency of water – so it rippled and reformed at touch. Pleased, he waited for Anna's next command.

"Done?" she murmured softly, and he heard her shirt rustle as she squatted next to him.

"Yes. What should I do now?" he asked.

"I want you to step through your shield, and then visualise the shield charm."

Harry did as she asked, noting how the water closed back up behind him. Taking a deep breath, he thought of the protection charm he had cast whilst with Anna and Severus. There was a soft whoosh, and he could just make out a faint blue barrier running in every direction.

"Done?" Anna's hands stroked his hair gently. He nodded. "Right, you're going to feel a little lightheaded when you open your eyes. I am sat right behind you, so all I want you to do is to walk through your shields and then open your eyes, ok?"

"Ok." Harry swallowed, slipped through his shields and hesitantly opened his eyes. At once, his body felt heavy and cumbersome and he flopped backwards into Anna's arms.

"Well done, Harry. You need to calm down for a minute or two. We'll keep practicing and eventually when you come out of your shields you won't feel lightheaded."

"Thanks, mum." Harry blushed at the praise, shutting his eyes. She was right; he did feel lightheaded, as if half of him wasn't really there, but floating around. He couldn't work out whether it was a nice feeling or not.

They just lay there a little while, listening to the silence. Anna was humming softly under her breath, a lilting, happy tune which reminded him of the sun and of dancing. Gradually, the weightless feeling stopped and he opened his eyes, looking up. "I feel better now."

"Good. You know, you concentrated for a whole hour?" Anna helped him up and led him out of the room, pressing lightly on his shoulders to sit him in a chair. "Meyer!"

Meyer appeared with a soft pop, beaming. "Mistress Lupin! How might I be of assistance?"

"I'm assuming we missed breakfast?" Anna asked. At the house elf's nod, she winked at Harry, sitting opposite him. "What do you want for breakfast, Harry?"

He realised he was starving, his stomach grumbling in protest. "Could I have ... er ... a bacon sandwich, some orange juice, an apple and a fried egg please, Meyer?"

"Of course, Master Potter." The old house elf's eyes twinkled in amusement. "And you, Mistress Lupin?"

"Just some coffee, please Meyer. I'm not sure I'm up to eating anything yet."

"Of course." The house elf bowed and was gone with another soft pop, just as the floo flared. Anna jumped up, summoning her wand from the other side of the room with a flick of her hand. Harry watched as a silvery-haired man strode out, shook himself off a little and then looked up. Piercing blue eyes widened.

"Anna Lupin! What have I told you about resting? And where the hell did you go last night? I've already checked with Poppy and you didn't go to the Hospital Wing! She's worried for you, Anna – enough so that when my fool of a brother came to complain about my presence she cast a wandless silencing charm on him!"

"Poppy cast a wandless silencing charm on _Albus_?" Anna asked in amazement, sitting back down. Harry studied the tall man before him. He certainly looked a lot like Dumbledore, although less refined and less well cared for. You could easily see his cheekbones through his hollow face, and his grey hair hung in slight curls to his shoulders, unlike his brother's. Harry could feel worry emanating from the man, and decided to trust him. A little. He watched Anna and the man interact quietly, reading their body language easily. Something else he had picked up from life with the Dursleys. The man was obviously agitated and worried, whereas Anna was happy and calm. And slightly amused. His sharp eyes noted the way she held herself. She was still in pain, then.

"Yes, Poppy cast a silencing charm on Albus. I don't think he's worked out how to get it off yet, either. Now, where did you go? Don't tell me you spent all night alone."

"She came to me, Aberforth." A soft voice said. Severus was stepping out of the fire, his face pale. Aberforth looked up, and grinned jovially.

"Aah, did she, Severus? Good. So you're not completely reckless, young lady."

"Of course not, Abe!" Anna smirked cheekily, although Harry noticed the vial Severus passed to her under the table. There was a soft crack as Meyer reappeared with breakfast, and in the temporary distraction Harry noticed her drink it quickly and hide the vial. She swayed slightly and he watched Severus place a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Good." Aberforth sighed, until his eyes alighted on Harry. "Merlin! Harry Potter! I'm sorry, young man. How do you do? I'm Aberforth. Aberforth Dumbledore."

Amused, Harry shook the proffered hand before tucking in to breakfast. "It's good to meet you, sir. I'm well, thanks."

"What have you two been up to?" Minerva's voice echoed through the floo. Anna's rooms became even more crowded as the stern Professor stepped through, sitting opposite Aberforth. Severus stayed standing, his hand still on Anna's shoulder as he leant on the back of the chair. "I heard from Poppy that you, young lady, were injured grievously last night, didn't go to her, and now I find you sitting in here with Severus, who we all haven't seen all of yesterday or this morning, and Aberforth! Oh, by the way, Albus is heading down here."

"Great." Anna and Severus groaned at the same time, causing the other adults to raise amused eyebrows.

"I'm fine, Minerva. Severus looked after me last night. Now then, Abe, you had better go before your brother gets down here. I might come and see you later – Greyback should be lying stunned in a small alleyway and I need to go and sort him out. Minerva, you had better pretend you didn't know Abe was here."

"Of course." Minerva took Aberforth's vacated seat as the old man smiled warmly at Anna, Severus and him before flooing away. "Now, what have you two been up to?"

"Occlumency." Anna took a sip of the coffee, and Harry watched her eyes brighten a little more so that she looked less tired. "Harry was starting his shields."

"What is your element?" Severus asked, at the same time as Minerva exclaimed, "Occlumency?"

"My element is water, s...Severus." Harry spoke quietly, because he could hear someone walking quickly outside towards them. "I can hear someone coming, Anna." The adults stopped to listen, and Anna nodded approvingly.

"Now that you mention it, so can I. Ah, well if it's Albus he'll have a job finding us."

"Why?" Minerva asked. The kindly Professor was smiling slightly as she watched Anna and Severus, and Harry grinned to himself as he saw Severus squeeze Anna's shoulder.

"Well, for one thing my rooms move around the castle, so they won't be where they were yesterday. For another, Alicia isn't outside so he'll need to find her as well, and I think she's on the fifth floor."

Both Minerva and Severus laughed as they listened to the agitated footsteps pacing backwards and forwards, and Harry smirked into his food. Anna flicked her wand, and they could all quite clearly hear the muttered curses Dumbledore was throwing out. The tips of Professor McGonagall's ears turned red.

"I've a mind to go out and tell him to watch his language!"

Anna flicked her wand again, restoring blissful silence. "At least he's removed the silencing charm. Or sadly, I should say."

Harry giggled softly, although not softly enough for Minerva's eyes turned to him. "Don't you laugh, young man! Right, are you ready to go?"

Harry finished the last of his orange juice and jumped up. "Yes!"

"Let's go, then. We have a busy schedule. We're stopping at one of the houses for lunch."

Harry turned nervously to Anna. "Will you be ok, Mum?"

"I'll be fine, cub. I promise. Go and have fun."

"Ok." Harry hugged her fiercely one last time, surprised the occupants of the room by hugging Severus just as tightly, and then took the Professor's offered hand as she led him into the flames. There was a whoosh, and then they were gone.

Anna looked up to see Severus standing there, smiling warmly at her. She let out a soft sigh, and felt him squeeze her shoulder gently. "He'll be fine."

"I know. Right, I had better go and get changed into Auror robes." She scowled, standing slowly. She only managed to take three steps towards the door, however, when both of her arms were captured in arm lock.

"You're not going anywhere." Severus whispered into her ear. She shivered, but turned around in his arms resolutely.

"Severus, I need to go. Apart from the fact I promised Abe I'd visit him, I need to sort out Greyback."

Severus looked down at her, black eyes holding hers. They were filled with warmth. "That's fine. But I'm coming too. I haven't visited Abe in ages, I can hide my face easily and I want to take you somewhere afterwards."

"Severus." Anna warned him. "What if Greyback recognises you? His sense of smell is keen, even in human form."

He took her by the elbows, gazing down into her eyes. "I don't care. I'll endure any punishment the Dark Lord gives me, just to make sure you're safe."

She swallowed, tears springing to her eyes. "Alright. Where're we going afterwards?"

"That's for me to know, and you look forward to. And don't worry, no-one will see us. I want to show you something."


	20. Surprises, Friends and Observations

Anna and Severus apparated into Diagon Alley, the early morning sun lighting up their faces. Anna smiled. The shopkeepers were just opening their shops, and there was a steady hum of magic and noise around the street. The Fiendfyre from the previous evening had made no impact on any of the shops or trees – which was unusual in itself. She assumed Greyback must have cast it – after all, he was the only one there who had been powerful enough to cast the charm _and _contain it.

She smiled shyly up at Severus, and he smirked back. He didn't seem to be able to keep himself from staring around at the morning bustle either, no matter how much he tried. She grinned, and then jumped at a voice calling her name.

"Anna! Are you alright? I saw you going into the Hogs Head last night. It wasn't Death Eaters, was it?" Florean was leant in the entrance to his shop, shirt rolled up to his elbows. He frowned across at her, and she stepped nearer to talk.

"I'm fine, Florean. It looked worse than it was, believe me..."

"If you're sure. Oh, by the way, Skeeter somehow got a picture of you afterwards. You were covered in blood, Anna."

She swore softly. "It wasn't an article, was it?"

"Second page." Florean sent her an apologetic look. "That hag can't keep her nose out."

"I know." She sighed. "Thanks, Florean." He vanished back inside his shop and she carried on quietly. Severus touched her arm.

"Soon the words 'I'm fine' will lose all meaning coming from you."

"I've been worse." She explained, looking down at her hands. "Besides, they all worry enough as it is. It's bad enough with the Death Eaters causing havoc every night anyway, without them having to worry about me too. They shouldn't need to worry about me."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop. Black eyes bored down into hers. "I sincerely doubt you've been worse than you were last night, Anna. You were barely conscious. And they choose to worry about you."

"No one needs worry about me. I'm fine." She stubbornly. "And you're right, generally. I haven't been much worse, apart from the couple of times I've been unconscious." The last sentence was added quietly so that he wouldn't catch it. Severus, however, had very good hearing and caught it easily.

"How many is a couple, Anna?"

"Once or twice. Not many." She admitted softly. He nodded, eyes searching hers before they continued. He didn't pull his hand from hers and she didn't mention it, seeking comfort from his touch, even if it sent butterflies spiralling in her stomach. They walked with fingers entwined, both hoping the other wouldn't notice. When they finally reached the side-street Anna stopped raising both hands to pull Severus' hood over his head, shadowing his features. She smiled up at him, and then caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Stupify!" she cried, at the same time as Severus flicked him wand and cast a petrifying charm. There were two dull thumps, and next to her Severus lit up his wand and directed it down the alley. Two bodies lay slumped there, both as stiff as boards. Greyback was crumpled on the floor, bordering on the edge of her dismantled shield charm. The trainee next to him was twisted in a very uncomfortable position towards the opening of the alleyway.

"Caught them in the act." Severus strode into the alley and crouched next to the trainee. Anna followed a little more slowly, wand out. She knew not to take the temporary peace for granted.

"I don't recognise this one. He must be a very new addition. What're we going to do with them now?" Severus straightened up, pressing his hand into the small of his back. His clock had moved to one side slightly, exposing his back. The muscles strained against his shirt as he stretched. She blushed, looking away momentarily.

"I have some portkeys."

He attached one to the trainee, watching in interest as he disappeared in a flash of blue light. Sighing, he turned his back on Greyback and walked back over to Anna.

"What about Gre-?"

"Look out!" Anna grabbed his arm and shoved him out of the way just in time. Greyback, originally assumed to be stunned unconscious on the floor, reared up and swiped at the air where Severus had been standing. Breathing out, Anna ducked gracefully as he swung at her head and fielded low, kicking at his shins. He stumbled and fell, and then there was a red flash of light. Greyback dodged, snarling, and she jumped up, kicking him hard in the back of the head. He howled, and then there was a massive flash of light. Greyback keeled over, having been hit in the face by a stunner and the chest by a petrifying curse.

"Anna!" Severus grasped her arm, spinning her around to face him. Black eyes surveyed hers in worry. "He didn't touch you, did he?"

"No." She smiled cheekily. "Didn't even get a look in."

"Anna." He sighed. "Why did you push me out of the way?"

"I wasn't about to let him bite you." She glared up at him, hands on her hips. "_Durak_." She added affectionately. He laughed, taking the portkey from her and attaching it to Greyback. They watched him vanish, and then Severus stood, looping an arm around her waist.

"There'll be no Death Eaters around this early, 'Noushka." He whispered into her ear, and she felt a blush spread up her cheeks, heating her face. His touch was sending the butterflies in her stomach haywire as his hand rested comfortably against her hip. "Come, let's go and visit Aberforth before he hangs us for not keeping a promise."

She laughed, leaning into him as they emerged back into the light and began strolling back up the street. Bypassers smiled at them and waved, occasionally stopping them for a chat. Just as they reached the pub door, Severus leant nearer, his lips inches from her cheek. She could feel his breath tickling the delicate hairs there, and shivered slightly.

"You look even more beautiful when you blush." He murmured, stroking her hair gently before pulling her inside, chuckling at her half-hearted glare.

* * *

Minerva checked they hadn't been spotted by any muggles after their apparition, and then led him up the driveway.

"Now, Harry, this is Mr and Mrs Granger's house where we are stopping for lunch. Their daughter's name is Hermione."

"Hermione." Harry rolled the girl's name around on his tongue. "That's an unusual name. I've never met a 'Hermione' before."

"Neither have I." Minerva knocked smartly on the door to the pristine little house. A pot of pansies swung gently in the breeze above their heads, the lawn was mown to perfection and the pathway was swept and clean. The house itself however was very old, definitely Tudor, and he drew solace from the irregularity of the black beams and off-white patches. There was the sound of hurried footsteps, and then a woman opened the door.

Out of habit, Harry immediately began assessing her. She was plump, not overly so, and had short, neat sandy hair. Her eyes were grey, but a sharp, watchful shade rather than the warm grey Hagrid's were. She stood straight, so she obviously was brought up well and had a large self esteem. Her clothes were smart and well cared for. His sharp eyes inspected her fingers, noting the slight stain of chemicals. _A doctor or a chemist – or at least, someone who works with chemicals. She is well paid, judging from her dress sense and by her shape, and is kind once you know her judging by her eyes and the colour of her clothes. _He dragged himself back to the present and the woman introduced herself.

"My name is Adelaide Granger. I assume you are Minerva McGonagall, here about darling Hermione's education?" _Went to a private school. _Harry added. _She's probably a doctor, judging by the number of certificates on the walls inside._

"I am." Minerva shook the offered hand stiffly. "This is my grandson, Harry – he's come with me for today seeing as his mother and father can't look after him for today. He's been a great help with the children."

"I'm sure." Mrs Granger's look softened slightly as he met her eyes, and he smiled at her tentatively. "Hermione will be _so _pleased to talk to someone her own age." She ushered them inside. "Do you possess ...ahem... magical skill, then Harry?"

He glanced up at Minerva, gesturing to his sleeve. She nodded and he drew his wand, flicking it once. A beautiful bunch of roses appeared in his hand, crimson red and a deep purple, and he held them out with an amused smile at the woman's wide-eyed amazement.

"Yes, Ma'am, I do. I've started learning early thought because my Mum needed to teach me some spells to help me when I work with my father." He decided to edit the story from _my mum decided it would be a good idea to teach me spells so I can defend myself against a raving lunatic who killed my biological parents and who may or may not be dead, as well as against all of his sick followers. Oh, and the nightmares, and so that I don't need to worry about being hurt by my abusive uncle who didn't care a jot about whether I lived or not as long as he had a glass of red wine in his hand, good food and I was totally silent._

"Really? Well now, that is interesting." Mrs Granger led them into the living room where a balding man who was reading a newspaper was sat in an armchair. At their arrival he placed the newspaper down and rose to shake their hands. "Jonathan Granger. Please, do sit down."

Harry perched on the edge of the sofa, immediately wary of the man's presence. Minerva seemed to sense his unease and squeezed his hand gently. Mr Granger probably summarised a doctor perfectly – balding, bespectled and brainy. He was well-rounded like his wife; elegant with silver filigree spectacles perched _just so _on the tip of his nose and dusty brown hair.

"So tell me, Harry, what does your father do?" Mrs Granger sat gracefully opposite them on a separate couch. Harry met her eyes squarely.

"A job rather like yourselves, Mrs Granger. He is a...potioneer, meaning he brews potions to help cure people of illnesses."

"How did you know we were dentists?" Mr Granger asked suspiciously. Harry hid his nervous swallow at being addressed so directly, and felt Minerva's fingers brush his arm.

"The certificates in the hall, sir. My mother has taught me to be observant, sir."

"Indeed." Mr Granger murmured. Minerva skilfully steered the conversation away from Harry, squeezing his hand. "Now then, about your daughter, Mr and Mrs Granger..."

"Adelaide and Jon, please." Mrs Granger interjected. Harry, who knew how much Minerva hated being interrupted, hid a tiny smirk as her nostrils flared.

"Hermione has shown a large amount of magical skill – indeed, her skill is said to be one of the highest in this next year's intake. She also has an unusual grasp of her magic. Now, may I ask why you wished her to start in this year's classes when she is the same age as Harry?"

Harry, who felt uneasy at hearing his name mentioned, looking up at the sound of a soft gasp and a creak. A girl was sat on the stairs outside the room, too high for her parents to see her but just low enough for Harry to see her. She had soft doe brown eyes and unruly brown curls which reminded him of Anna's, only crazier and shorter. When their eyes met she quickly raised a finger to her lips and he nodded, stifling a smile. For her to know where to sit on the stairs to eavesdrop meant she had done it before. He flinched as the atmosphere in the room became ever so slightly more awkward – not enough for the adults to tell, however.

"Well, as you said, she has shown a lot of control over her magical ability, and she has always been a year ahead in her normal classes, so we assumed it would be the same for this." Harry frowned deftly as the girl's muggle classes were referred to as 'normal', implying that her magical abilities were abnormal. He heard a soft cough from the doorway, and looked up to see Hermione stood there, smiling shyly.

"Hello." She said quietly.

"Hi." Harry smiled at her warmly.

"You must be Miss Granger." Minerva rose and offered the girl her hand. Hermione shook it politely, her gaze wary. "I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Magic, Head of Gryffindor house and the Transfiguration teacher. This is Harry Potter, my grandson."

"It's nice to meet you." The girl smiled nervously, taking a seat next to Harry. "Can you do magic?"

In answer, Harry pointed his wand at the teacup he was holding. It turned into a beautiful charmed bracelet (a useful spell he had found in Minerva's book) and he handed it to her with an easy smile. "That's magic – more specifically Transfiguration, which is what Minerva teaches."

"Wow." Hermione's eyes were comically wide as she took the bracelet from him. She inspected it from all angles, smiling as the emerald cast beautiful dancing green light onto the wall. "It's _beautiful! _Show me some more magic! Please?"

"Hermione dear, take Harry upstairs to your room so the adults can talk." Mrs Granger said indulgently, smiling down at the girl. Harry noticed the slight dimming of the girl's eyes as her mother spoke to her so condescendingly, and held out a hand, standing.

"It'll be easier for me to show you if there are less people." He smiled. "And I can answer any questions you have about Hogwarts as well."

"Ok." Slightly mollified, Hermione took his hand and led him up the stairs and into a small side room. Piles of books lay everywhere, and one wall was completely covered in beautiful pictures that Hermione had obviously drawn. He stepped nearer, smiling as he recognised unicorns, centaurs, phoenix's and a castle that looked very familiar.

"Where did you see this?" he asked, pointing to it. Hermione came over to see, and then blushed, dropping her head.

"In a dream. It's not very good..."

"Hermione, it's amazing! It's _Hogwarts! _You saw _Hogwarts_ in a dream. This is Hagrid, and these are the mer that live in the lake, and this is the forbidden forest, and these are the centaurs that live there!"

"Oh!" Hermione's brown eyes were wide with surprise. "But...how can I draw them if I've never been there, and yet you recognise them?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask Mum when I get back. Now, did you want me to show you some more magic?"

"Yes! Oh yes! And then tell me all about Hogwarts and magic and...everything!"

* * *

"Albus didn't find you, did he?" Aberforth sat in the armchair opposite them, his blue eyes narrowed. "I hate to think what the confrontation would have been."

"No. He just pottered around outside for a little while and tried out a few more unusual curses." Severus replied breezily, although with his custom smirk. Aberforth chuckled.

"I bet Minerva loved that."

"Oh yes. She was quite happy to go outside and use a couple on him, actually – although I doubt they could beat Poppy's silencing charm."

"Indeed." Aberforth returned Severus' smirk, and then turned to her. Only with Severus and her did his soft side come through. He looked years younger, and, although she would never tell him for fear of upset, a lot like his sister. He had introduced her to his sister's portrait a long time ago, and she and Arianna used to talk a lot, especially when she was younger.

"And how are you and your brother, Anna?"

"We're alright. Well, I'm better than I was last night, and Remus is in top condition for him because it's the middle of the month."

"Good." Aberforth muttered. "And Harry?"

"He's fine. What can I say – very bright, very quick, and a mischievous ten year old. He's already played two pranks – although I must say they were much more Slytherin than Gryffindor."

"A lad like him needs some time to be mischievous, though. Especially seeing the weight my idiot of a brother has put on his shoulders. But onto happier things. How're you both doing at work? I know you never tend to boast much, either of you, but I've heard a couple of rumours..."

"I'm just completing a Wizarding Masters in Potions." Severus smiled slightly at her wide-eyed look. "I'm one of the most competent Potion Masters in the country, and this degree will put me in that same category, but in the world."

"That doesn't surprise me one bit." Aberforth muttered. "I think you're already there, anyway. I've never known anyone brew potions as well as you, Severus."

"After all," Anna added, smirking at his glare, "you did get the highest Potions grade ever recorded in your NEWTS and are the youngest Potions Academy graduate and Distinction-receiver in a century."

"And what about you?" Severus asked, although she and Aberforth both noted the blush tinting his cheeks with small smiles. "It's not like you've sat around and done nothing for the last ten years."

"Well, I don't know..." Anna grinned. "No, I have been busy. Well, you know I'm deputy head of the Auror office, but Alastor is thinking of retiring in about a year's time so he's training me for that. I'm also training three apprentices, which _is _rather tiring, and I'm re-reading and memorising the books of laws, which I suspect will come in rather useful ... somehow..."

"As well as caring for a ten year old son and teaching him magic and Occlumency." Severus added with a smirk. "He calls you Mum in front of everyone, now."

Now it was her turn to blush, and he wrapped an easy arm around her shoulders. "I think it's very sweet."

"Hmph." She muttered, not bothering to hide the small, pleased smile at his words. Aberforth chuckled at their antics, and then stood, his bones creaking.

"Well, I have got customers to attend to, however much I may hate it. Off with you, both of you before you dispel my gloomy mood completely."

"Goodbye Aberforth." Severus shook the older man's hand warmly. She grinned and hugged him cheekily, tightening her arms when he pushed her away half-heartedly.

"Bye, Abe. Look after yourself. Don't get too depressed." She teased, darting away as he tried to catch her.

"Be off with you, Anna. I'm not as young as I was otherwise I would have pranked in like."

She blew him a quick kiss and then Severus took her hand, adjusted his features into a suitably sombre expression and then led her away. Once they were outside the pub he stopped and turned to her, and she smiled as the twinkle, gone from his smile and his eyes when he had turned sixteen, returned in full force in his eyes. Where Albus' was annoying and patronising, Severus' was warm and kind.

"Shall we?" he offered his arm again, smirking. She grinned up at him and accepted the arm, and then they vanished.

* * *

"Right. What do you want me to do?" Harry asked in amusement. Hermione pondered as she sat on her bed, twisting her hands in her lap. "There is a limit, though – I've only just started learning."

"Can you make things fly?" she asked childishly. He laughed, pointed his wand at her bed where an old moth-eaten teddy sat and levitated it three feet into the air. He made it do a little jig before returning it to the bed amidst Hermione's giggles. "Okay, can you make things disappear?"

He took the ice cream stick from his pocket and flicked his wand, vanishing it. Hermione laughed and clapped her hands. "Show me more!"

Grinning as he enjoyed himself, Harry pointed his wand at the pictures. They began to move, the centaur cantering, the unicorns braying and eating the grass, Hagrid laughing heartily. Hermione gasped and moved nearer, lifting a shaking finger to touch a unicorn. "That's _amazing._"

"It's magic." Harry stowed his wand in his pocket, deciding to leave the pictures to move. They would stop soon anyway. "And you can do it too."

"I can." Hermione whispered, staring down at her hands. Sensing her mood, Harry sat next to her on the bed.

"What's the matter?"

"Can I show you somewhere? It's the woods, but I have a secret hiding place there that no-one knows about. Dad owns some of them. It'll be easier for us to talk there as well."

"As long as your parents agree." Harry smiled warmly, standing. She jumped up as well and grabbed a coat.

"Wait here." She instructed. He watched her run from the room and down the stairs, skidding into the living room. Odd snatches of the following conversation drifted up to him.

"...go to the woods? He's really nice, honest..."

"...if that is ok with you, Professor...?"

"...fine, Harry knows the risks, he can defend them both easily..."

"...from what...?"

"...I shall explain later..."

"...very well, alright Hermione but only for a little while..."

"Mum said yes!" Hermione danced upstairs and took his arm, pulling him down with her. He caught Minerva's eye and smiled reassuringly before letting the girl lead him out of the door. At once, her whole demeanour changed. She became very quiet, shy, and wouldn't look up at him. He took her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Over there." Her voice was barely audible, but he caught the gesture. "Those kids, they tease me a lot. And steal my stuff and laugh at me."

"Let them try it here; I'll make sure they can't get anywhere near you. I can't use obvious magic, but Mum's taught me how to defend myself. Including throwing punches. And Dad is good with words – I'm sure I can use a couple of his catchphrases."

"Thanks, Harry. Sorry I'm such a wimp."

"You're not a wimp." He said passionately. "You're very brave. You have to be brave to be told magic exists. And besides, everyone is scared of a bully. I've been bullied – I know how it feels."

"Really?" she brightened up, looking at him. He smiled encouragingly.

"Really. Now then, what did you want to kn-?"

"Hey, look, it's that wimpy swot! The Granger kid! Hey, Granger!" One of the girls yelled nastily. Hermione flinched, and Harry clenched his fist.

"Ignore them." He whispered. "They're idiots. Look at them. They're not clever. They're not special. And they definitely can't do magic."

Hermione nodded, smiling at him. "Ok." She took a deep breath. "Well, I wanted to know about the houses. Professor McGonagall is head of Gryffindor, but are there any other houses?"

"Well, there's Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw." The bullies, obviously confused as to why Hermione was ignoring them, moved nearer. One of them tried to grab her, and then they all drew back as Harry's arms shot out. One protected Hermione, and his other hand wrapped around the bully's fist. He squeezed it hard, and the boy gasped in pain.

"Don't you even think about it." He spat venomously. He knew exactly how Hermione felt – after all, he had put up with Dudley for eight years. And he hated bullies. "The first one of you cowards who touches her gets my fist in their face, and I'll warn you now that I'm a master at judo and karate."

"Who the hell are you?" the boy asked.

"Her friend." He whispered, and leant nearer. "Now, _scram._"

Whether it was the way he stood over them, or the amount of pain he knew he was inflicting on the boy, or whether it was the cold fire burning in his eyes, the group were terrified. With scared 'eeps' they all turned and ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction. He took a deep breath and relaxed, smiling down at Hermione.

"They won't bother you again. Sorry about the small interruption – what was I saying?"

"You were telling me about the houses. Thanks." Hermione smiled up at him happily, and he decided immediately that what he had said was completely true. He was her friend.

"Don't mention it. It's what friends do. Well, Slytherin is for the cunning and sly, Ravenclaw is for the clever and studious, Gryffindor is for the reckless and brave and Hufflepuff is for the kind and gentle."

"And Professor McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor? She doesn't seem very reckless. More scary. So, who's the Head of the school?"

Harry laughed. "You're right, Minerva's very scary. The head of the school is Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor _who_?" Hermione giggled.

"Dumbledore." Harry grinned. "You're right, he is a little strange. He has a weird obsession with lemon drops."

Hermione laughed outright. He loved her laugh immediately – it was warm, kind, and very gentle. "He sounds strange. Tell me about the lessons. What do we learn?"

"Where do I start?" Harry laughed. "Charms, Defence against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Runes, Astronomy, Care of Magical creatures..."

"Care of Magical Creatures? And Potions?"

"Care of Magical Creatures is all about how to look after Griffins and Unicorns and stuff like that. Potions is my favourite at the moment – you can brew anything as a potion. We learn stuff like Forgetful Potion, and Amortentia, and healing Balm..."

"Amortentia?"

"It smells of the things you love the most." He explained with a grin. "And then there's Herbology, Arithmancy, History of Magic, Muggle studies – although you won't need to take that, Apparition which is only in fifth and sixth year and Quidditch."

"Quidditch?"

"We really do fly on brooms." He smiled softly at her. "And play games on them. That's Quidditch."

"And what about Muggle studies? Why don't I need to do them?"

Harry frowned, worrying his lip between his teeth. "You're what wizards call a muggle born – a witch born of non-magical parents. Muggle studies is for witches and wizards who are purebloods or halfbloods to study the muggles and how they live without magic."

"Purebloods? Halfbloods?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Ok. A half-blood is someone who has one parent who is either muggle or a muggleborn, or who has two half blood parents. A pureblood is someone who has two fully magical Wizarding parents. I'm a halfblood – Lily was a muggleborn like you."

"Does it matter, what blood you have?" Hermione asked. He met her eyes squarely.

"No. It doesn't. Dad says some of the best wizards and witches are muggleborns."

"Who's Lily?" she asked shyly.

"My birth mum. She died when I was a year and a bit old. So did my dad. They were killed. I lived with my aunt for a bit, but I didn't really...get on with her or my cousin or uncle, so Anna came and picked me up. She was my godmother, but I think of her as my mum. She is, really."

"And your dad?"

Harry blushed. "He isn't really my dad, I guess. He and Anna really like each other, but they're still shy around each other. He's really kind, and has helped me a lot, so I call him dad. Not to his face, though."

"That's really sweet." Hermione smiled at him, taking his hand. "It's this way." She tugged him through a little iron gate into a beautiful wood. They began to walk amongst the trees, smiling and laughing.

"Tell me more." She said quietly. "Tell me about wands. How come you have yours?"

"Here." Harry handed her his gently. She took it, and gasped.

"It's warm! And it's...vibrating. It's kind of nice, but it doesn't feel quite right."

"That's the residual magic you can feel." He explained. "It doesn't feel right because the wand is mine, so it only works properly for me. I reacted exactly the same when Anna gave me hers to hold."

"When do you get a wand? Do you have to pass some sort of test?" she asked nervously.

"No." He laughed. "You go to Ollivanders when you go shopping for supplies – I'll meet you there, if you like. He's this really old man with silver eyes who makes wands. He has a funny measuring tape which doesn't really measure anything important, and he basically gets lots of wands out of boxes and gives them to you. Somehow he knows when it's the right one, and you do too."

"Oh." Hermione whispered, looking down at his wand. "Do they cost anything?"

"Yes. You pay in pounds and pennies, but wizards pay in Galleons, sickles and knuts. They're a bit like shillings, pennies and farthings."

"Wow." Hermione whispered. "It's just...wow." she handed him back the wand, and he stored it up his sleeve. "Do you have familiars? Like black cats?"

"Yes, although not always black cats." He laughed, then hooted softly. "Hedwig!"

"Oh my..." Hermione gasped as Hedwig soared over the tree tops and landed on his arm. "She's beautiful. Is she yours?"

"Yes. We can either have cats, rats, toads or owls – although I know dad has an eagle. Owls are good 'cause they can carry your mail."

"I think I'd like a cat." Hermione smiled ponderously.


	21. Memories and Mistakes

**Hello, my wonderful reviewers! I'm so sorry I've taken so long, but I had a severe care of writer's block. Hopefully I should be back on track now, and this chapter, although mostly memories, ties up a couple of loose ends and might help with a couple of your questions. So enjoy! **

* * *

"_Watch out, Anna!" A twelve year old Lily Evans called up into the branches of an oak tree. The chestnut haired girl dressed in denim shorts and a striped T-shirt just laughed and climbed higher into the twisted branches, waving down at her friend. Just to tease the red-headed girl, she found a thick branch and looped her knees over it, swinging upside down. Her hair streamed out behind her, a thick, gossamer curtain as Lily moved nearer. Her head was on the same level as Anna's when she stood in front of her, but she sat with her back against the trunk, smiling up at her friend. Anna shifted slightly so she was facing Lily, and began to swing back and forth slightly._

"_How long has this tree been here?"_

"_Ever since I can remember." Lily replied with a tiny smile. "Tuney and I have played under it forever. Oh, by the way, can you see a purple soft toy? It'll probably be a little moth eaten by now, but it was one of my favourite toys when I was little. Tuney threw it up there by accident when I was seven."_

"_Hang on." Anna swung the right way up and began clambering back into the branches. Twigs tugged at her clothes, snagged at her hair, and mud and lichen streaked her arms. Narrowing her eyes she looked about the branches, looking for a flash of purple. Her eyes travelled further, out of the tree, and fixed on a black-haired boy who was limping towards them._

"_Sev!" She called. He jumped and looked up, and she saw him grin as she waved wildly from the tree._

"_Hello, Anna." He laughed, disappearing under the tree. She could hear him chatting to Lily, and continued her search for the elusive soft toy. She eventually spotted it wedged in a parting between two branches, and grabbed it. However, the sudden movement caused the branch to snap and she fell down through the boughs. She managed to loop her legs over a branch again, and jerked to a halt upside down in front of Severus and Lily, but of whom jumped backwards, yelling in surprise._

"_I be a bowtruckle! She laughed, holding out the soft toy. "This be yours, Miss Lily."_

"_Thanks, Anna." Lily took the toy from her, cradling it close. Severus, having recovered from his initial shock, moved closer until they almost touched._

"_You're mucky enough to be a Bowtruckle." He teased, smearing some of the mud on her face down her cheeks. She glared at him playfully, swinging backwards and forwards, and then shrugged._

"_That's what comes from climbing trees, I guess."_

_She swung a little too hard and the branch she was on snapped. She shrieked wildly in between laughing as she fell, and then two strong arms caught her out of the air. Gently, Severus righted her and let her catch her balance before letting her go. A faint blush coated his cheeks, and it only increased when she hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek._

"_Thanks, Sev."_

"_Y-You're welcome." He stuttered, sitting next to Lily. Smiling, she sat cross legged in front of them and pulled her chess set out of her pocket. _

"_Game?"_

"_You're on!" He grinned, grabbing the black pieces. They played an enjoyable half hour game until Petunia sloped out, scowling. She carried a two glasses of lemonade and some freshly baked biscuits. Her lip curled as she surveyed the group, her eyes lingering on Severus._

"_Mum told me to bring these out. What're you doing here, Snape? Looking for some more charity? We don't run a hostel, you know."_

_Before Severus could retort in like, Anna had jumped up, grinning deviously. "Why, thank you Tuney!" She hugged the older girl tightly, making sure to smear mud on her pristine shirt. Petunia shoved her away, and then shrieked._

"_You've got mud on my shirt! What have you been doing? You look worse than __**he **__does!"_

"_That's what happens when you climb trees." She smirked, with an unrepentant grin. Petunia huffed and turned on her heel, flouncing away as Lily and Severus laughed and Anna traded sips of lemonade with him. _

* * *

"Close your eyes." Severus murmured, touching her shoulder lightly. She frowned but obligingly did as he asked, clenching her fists warily. He wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand resting at her hip again as he began to lead her somewhere, his voice gentle but confidant. She found herself listening to it more and more, and shivered as the deep silky sound washed over her– the seductive timbre of it just for her.

"Are you cold?"

"Not at all." She replied with a small smile, and even though she couldn't see him she could sense him smiling as well. His voice rumbled against her, a mark of safety and familiarity. "Where are we?"

"If I told you I'd be spoiling the surprise, wouldn't I?"

"Severus..." she warned.

"Relax, Anna. We're not there yet – I've brought you somewhere else first. Your surprise isn't until this afternoon."

"So _where are we_?"

"Welcome," he said, and she tentatively opened her eyes, "to Mill Town. It's changed a bit, hmm?"

"Oh..." she whispered, turning this way and that. "Oh...oh... is Lily's house still...?"

"Over here?" Amused, Severus took her hand, leading her across the street. It was the first public affection he had shown to her outside Diagon Alley, and she felt a small burst of warmth as he squeezed it gently. They came to a halt outside a small, Tudor-looking house. Baskets of pansies swung in the small breeze, the lawn was mown to perfection and the same, familiar apple tree still stood on the front lawn.

"This hasn't changed one bit." Casting a disillusionment charm over herself, Anna stepped nearer to the tree, reaching out a shaking hand to stroke the bark. A pale, long-fingered hand closed over hers, and she smiled. "We used to sit under here and drink lemonade and eat cookies Lily's mum had made, do you remember?"

"And watch everyone walk by and guess who they were. I haven't forgotten. I never will." Longing infused his voice and she let the same feeling wash over her. Those days had been peaceful, the days before the war.

"Is the park still the same?" she asked quietly, turning to stare up into his eyes. He was still holding her hand, and she didn't pull away as he ran a finger over the skin on her wrist. It tickled slightly, and she smiled again. He had always done that to her and Lily – he used to tease them, because both girls had always been ticklish there, and he hadn't. They used to sit for hours trying find where he was ticklish. She suspected she would never know.

"Same as ever." He replied. "Same trees, same swings, same everything – I don't think the keeper's changed much either."

She giggled, looking over his shoulder at the greenery. He tugged her arm gently, pulling her back onto the road and leading her towards the park. "We're here because...well, I guessed you hadn't been back here since Li...the start of the first war, and we need to go to my house so we can floo somewhere."

"Oh?" she asked, her interest sparked. He laughed slightly, black eyes filled with amusement.

"Yes. Forgive me, but I think you've only been to Spinners End once, haven't you?"

"Only the once." She replied with a small smile. He offered her his arm and the two of them walked away into the park, turning this way and that and letting the memories rush over them.

* * *

"_Anna, I want you to meet Severus. Sev, this is Anna – she's coming to Hogwarts in September."_

_The thin, sullen black-haired boy stuck out a hand, dark eyes not wavering from hers. Anna made sure to keep contact as she gently shook the offered hand, and let him see the honesty in her eyes. He nodded, satisfied, and the questions began._

"_How old are you?"_

"_The same age as you – a little younger, I think."_

"_Where did you meet Lily?"_

"_I'm Remus Lupin's twin sister." Anna replied by way of explanation. The black-haired boy's change in demeanour was startling. His face closed off and he turned away. Anna grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around to face her._

"_Do you have a problem with that? I don't particularly like my brother's friends, but that doesn't mean I'm anything like them or him and I don't think it's fair that you judge me on their actions. You're a Slytherin, aren't you?"_

"_Yes." He muttered, looking slightly less hostile at her burst of words. "Does it matter?"_

"_No." She replied with an easy smile, watching his eyes widen in surprise. "Not at all. I don't really care what house you're in – it's the friend inside that counts."_

_He smiled, then, the first smile she had ever seen him show. It was tentative, heartbreakingly unsure, as though he was unsure of its reception. She smiled back warmly, and he took her hand in his._

"_I think, Anna, this is going to be the start of a glorious friendship."_

* * *

"_I bet I can swing the highest!" A fourteen year old Anna teased. Egged on by the contradictions of her friends, she began to swing higher and higher, the wing tugging at her hair and clothes until she was almost parallel to the bar at the top of the swing. She finally let go and soared through the air, landing gracefully in a cat-like position on the tarmac as the black-eyed boy laughed and cheered and the red haired girl scolded her half-heartedly..._

* * *

"_What's wrong, Sev?" A much older Anna asked, crouching next to the black-haired boy who was sat dejectedly in the middle of the playground, head in his hands. He looked up in shock and overbalanced, falling backwards. She reached out a hand and helped him back up. Only when he was stood in front of her did she realise he had a bust lip, black eye and his shirt was stained in the corner with blood. "What happened to you?"_

"_I went to Lily's." He replied quietly, turning away. "Potter didn't take it too well. Neither did my father when I got back."_

"_Why do you think I'm here?" she asked with a small sigh. "I don't want to see James Potter snogging Lily any more than you do. Come here. Let me sort you out."_

"_You don't have to." He muttered, looking down. Anna tilted his head up again and traced her finger across his lower lip, healing it wandlessly. She went on to trace the small cuts across his cheeks, and then pressed her hand against his shoulder. There was a gentle flash of white light, and he gasped._

"_Better?" she asked quietly. "I've healed it as far as I can and put it into a Statis charm to hold the bone steady whilst it heals."_

"_Thanks." He whispered, rolling his shoulder and looking up at her out of one unbruised eye. She cupped his face in her hand and covered his eye with the other. There was another flash of light, and the bruising vanished. He smiled up at her tentatively, one hand rising to cover hers._

"_Why did you go to Lily's?" she asked, withdrawing her hand and sitting cross-legged next to him. He swallowed, and she carried on. "You knew Potter would be there."_

"_I needed to talk to her. But I didn't know you were there, otherwise I would have come to you first. You always did listen better than she did." He added with a wry smile. Anna moved closer, trying to hide the pleased blush tinting her cheeks in vain._

"_What's wrong?" _

"_Only __**him.**__" Severus responded, and by 'him' Anna knew he meant both Lord Voldemort and his father. She chose to ignore the first for the moment, choosing instead to focus on the latter._

"_What has your father done now?"_

"_Effectively?" Severus asked softly. "He's thrown me out. I'm homeless, Noushka."_

"_Well, that's simple to solve." Anna replied with an easy smile. He stared across at her._

"_What do you mean? I was going to ask Lily whether she minded me staying with them – I could sleep on the couch, or even outside, and work for them..."_

"_Gods, no, Sev. I've a much better idea. Remi and I need to travel to Russia tomorrow to sort out Mum's affairs – she left half the family fortune to each of us. You can come with us – I doubt you've ever been to Russia. As long as you don't mind putting up with Remi for two weeks."_

"_You're joking." Severus' face creased in sudden anger. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Scowling, he shuffled around until he sat with his back to her. She wrapped both arms around his waist, pulling him back to her._

"_I've never been more serious." _

* * *

"_Wow!" Severus grasped her hand tightly as he rose to his feet, looking around in wonder. Anna had to admit, the view was breathtaking. Snow capped mountains, deep russet green valleys and forests as far as the eye could see._

"_Welcome to Russia." Remus let a little of his accent infuse his voice, and Severus turned to them both. _

"_I didn't know you two actually had Russian accents."_

"_We do well at hiding them. C'mon." Remus led the way into the cobblestone street, grinning widely. Anna followed, tugging Severus along with her as he stared about, eyes wide. They turned a corner and came upon a small, tranquil market with dusty wooden stalls with colourful canopies, and the smell of spices heavy in the air. Street sellers were everywhere, smiling warmly, proffering goods left and right. _

"_Annoushka!" Someone cried. "__Moĭ dorogoĭ! __**My dear! **__I palevyĭ! __**And fawn!**__"_

"_Sergei!" Anna laughed, pulling Severus over to one of the sellers. A tall, blond-haired man with a dazzling smile strode out from behind the stall and swept her into a tight hug. The familiar smell of gingerbread and berries washed over her, and Anna sighed quietly. "__Eto priyatno videtʹ Vas, Sergei. __**It's good to see you, Sergei.**__"_

"_I vy, Annoushka. Kto eto? __**And you, Anna. Who is this?**__" _Sergei asked, motioning to Severus with a sweep of his arm. Anna smiled up at him, pulling Severus forwards once more.

"_Eto Severus. On moĭ luchshiĭ drug iz shkoly v Anglii. On nikogda ne byl v Rossii i ranʹshe, no ya reshil prinesti yego s soboĭ. On velikolepen na zelʹya i govorit na russkom, tak chto vy i on dolzhen horosho ladyat__. __**This is Severus. He is my best friend from school in England. He's never been to Russia before, but I thought I'd bring him along. He's amazing at Potions and speaks Russian, so you and he should get on well.**__" _She explained with a quick smile. Severus looked up at the tall man quietly, and then offered a hand.

"_Privet. Eto zdorovo vstretitʹsya s vami. Anna skazala mne, chto ty potioneer? __**Hi. It's great to meet you. Anna told me you are a potioneer?**__"_

"_Ya uchenyĭ russkoĭ zeliĭ. __**I'm a Russian Potions Master.**__" _Sergei replied with a wide grin_. "Odin iz luchshih v strane. No iz pisem Annoushka, ya ponyal, chto vy ochenʹ talantlivyĭ pivovara, a takzhe. Vozmozhno Annoushka dolzhny prinesti vam vsem, chtoby chaĭ v odin prekrasnyĭ denʹ na vash vizit, i my mozhem govoritʹ bolyee. Yesli net, to u nyee yestʹ moĭ adres. Ne stesnyaĭtesʹ pisatʹ mne. __**One of the best in the country. But from Annoushka's letters I gather that you are a very talented brewer as well. Perhaps Annoushka should bring you around to tea one day on your visit, and we can talk more then. If not, she has my address. Feel free to write to me.**__"_

"_Spasibo. __**Thank you**__." __Severus breathed, before Anna ran over and tugged him away. Both looked back to wave at the thin, smiling Potions Master who watched them leave wistfully. Anna showed Severus all around the market, and they ended up leaving much later than they had originally planned, carrying armfuls of gifts. _

* * *

_Anna sighed irritably, finally managing to hoist her trunk into the bag rack. Stopping for a little while to catch her breath, her eye was caught by a movement in the doorway. Sirius Black was stood there, eyes riveted on her figure. He looked rather surprised._

"_Was there something you wanted to say, Black?" she coughed pointedly. He jumped, startled, and then sent her the boyish grin he usually reserved for his 'fan girls.' _

"_I could have done that, you know. Pretty girls like you don't need to worry 'bout that sort of thing."_

"_The day I ask you for help will be the day hell freezes over and I'll eat my hat." She replied cuttingly. "And since when have I stopped being 'Moony's sister' and become a 'pretty girl?'_

"_Dunno." He replied with a careless shrug. "You've changed over the summer."_

"_Yes, Black, I have." She replied quietly, stepping straight in front of him. She was uncomfortable in his personal space, but she needed to get her point across. "I grew up, unlike someone." _

"_I guess so." He replied ponderously, falling into step beside her as she strode away. "But since when have you looked like that?"_

"_Like what?" she asked coolly, spinning on her heel to face him. It was true she had decided to grow out of boys clothes a bit, and was wearing a close fitting shirt and jeans, but there was no need for him to go bug eyed. And ok, she had tied her hair up into a bun, with a couple of pieces hanging down due to the strain of hoisting her trunk onto the top shelf, but she had tied her hair up plenty of times the previous year._

"_Amazing." He replied with another one of his flirtious smiles. "Did you go to a fashion specialist or something?"_

_Boy, that was the wrong thing to say. If she hadn't been annoyed, Anna would have found it hilarious. He was lucky he hadn't said it to Lily. "For your information, Black," she replied shortly, spotting Severus duck into a compartment a little way up ahead, "I have always looked like this. It's just that you, like a couple of other boys, can't see past the 'Moony's sister' exterior. I am a real person, you know." And with that, she turned around sharply and headed into Severus' compartment, leaving him gaping in the middle of the corridor._

_Once she had shut the door, Anna took a deep breath, resting her head against the cool glass. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up into Severus' eyes._

"_Half a day and he's already managed to annoy you?"_

"_I guess so." She sighed, covering his hand with her own. She found herself studying him. He seemed older too, as though something had happened which meant the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. "What's wrong, Sev?"_

"_Nothing." He replied evasively, trying to break her gaze. It failed miserably, and she searched his eyes some more. They were darker than usual, although she could see flecks of brown in them, and they seemed almost... emotional._

"_What's happened?" she asked softly, sitting him down. He looked away, swallowing visibly, before it all rushed out._

"_Mum died a couple of weeks ago." He sobbed, and she was shocked to see tears running down his cheeks. He must be a better actor than she had thought if he had hidden it from Doushka. Either that or he had bottled it all up, and now it was trickling through the gaps in his composure._

"_Oh Sev." Anna laid a hand on his shoulder, looking up into his eyes. He seemed to freeze, and she saw him struggling between collapsing into her arms or pulling away. She didn't really give him much option, pulling him close and stroking his hair gently. He hid his face in her shoulder, sobbing wildly, his body shaking with the suppressed tears. "Let it out." She whispered. "It helps."_

_He moved closer and her arms went around him automatically, one hand still stroking his hair. She could feel his tears soaking through her shirt against her skin. They were warm. She began to sing softly, a haunting, contemplative tune which she had sung to herself and Remi when their mother had died. However, thinking of that made her think of her mother and of his mother, and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She remembered Eileen Snape very well. A kindly, gentle woman who was fierce when it came to protecting the innocent and who slowly withdrew further into her battered shell as time progressed. She would rather not think about her mother. They sat for a little while, Severus with his head buried in her shoulder, she with her arms wrapped around his thin frame._

"_I'm a fool." He mumbled suddenly into her shoulder. "A weak, selfish idiot."_

"_And what makes you think that, hmm?" she asked, lifting his chin. He stared back into her eyes._

"_She's happy where she is – everyone says she is. She's at peace now – I know she is. I shouldn't be acting so spoilt, like I wanted to keep her here. She's happier now than she's ever been."_

"_Oh, hush Sev." She whispered. "There's nothing wrong with missing your mum, wishing she were still here – I do it every day. I'd leap at the chance to see her again. And yes, she may be happier where she is, and you should be happy. It's ok to feel a little resentful as well."_

"_I forgot." He was still staring at her although she had suddenly appeared out of heaven. "You lost your mum too."_

"_Yes." She said, her throat suddenly dry. "And believe me, I missed her every minute of every day for months afterwards. I still do. But they are happier where they are, Sev. She hasn't left you 'cause she doesn't love you."_

"_I know." He sighed, leaning into her arms. "Not that my brain will listen, of course."_

"_Well..." Anna gave him a hesitant smile. "Perhaps you should try to have fun, Sev. You Mum wouldn't want you to be sad. I've been practicing chess."_

"_Perhaps you're right." He sighed, and then attempted a small smirk. "Come on, then. Bet you can't beat me."_

"_Bet you I can." she teased, summoning her chess set. "Black or white?"_

"_White." He replied._

* * *

"_Hi, Sirius." Anna sighed wearily, looking up at the tall, dark-haired boy. Sirius smiled at her, and sat next to her on the stone._

"_Hi, Anna." He replied with a quick, boyish grin. "I was wondering, you, me, Hogsmeade tomorrow?"_

"_No, Sirius. You should know by now after six years of rejections that I still won't say yes." She replied, standing. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back._

"_Please, Anna."_

"_No." She struggled against his hands. "Let me go!"_

"_No." He smirked. "Not until you kiss me."_

_Anna was speechless with indignation. "I-I...No way!"_

"_Then I guess we aren't going anywhere." He replied, leaning nearer. Anna turned away, arms folded. However, he was still gripping her arm, and yanked her back around to face him. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"_

"_No!" she yelled._

"_Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"_

"_No." She hissed. "No, no, no."_

"_I'll keep asking until you kiss me."_

_Anna glared at him, and then sighed. "Fine."_

_He grinned, and dipped his head, kissing her on the lips. She stumbled backwards as he ran his tongue along her lip, and had to grab his arm to stop herself from falling. She broke away, spitting on the floor._

"_I hate you, Sirius Black."_

* * *

"_It's to keep you safe!" A twenty two year old Severus Snape grasped the girl's arm wildly, trying to stop her from running away. Anna looked up at him sadly, her eyes bright with unshed tears._

"_After all we've been through, Severus?" _

_The young man froze, his eyes caught on hers. They were filled with pain, but also knowing and acceptance. He dropped her arm and turned away, hiding his face._

"_I'm sorry." He choked out. But I can't watch you be...I won't let you...It's for Lily."_

"_It always is." Anna sighed, stepping nearer. Any watcher could see the amount of pain those last three words had inflicted on her, but the pain was hidden from him an instant later as she laid a hand on his arm, turning him around. Even if she did love him, as she had done for years, she knew he would not love her. He would always love Lily, even after she died. And she would continue to be there for him._

"_You love her, don't you? You always have." She said softly. His head shot up, and he stared at her._

"_How did you-?"_

"_Severus, I've known you for ten years. I can read you like a book, however well you hide your emotions to everyone else." She sighed softly, and then leant nearer, kissing him once lightly on the lips. He was too paralyzed to do anything except melt into the kiss, however brief it was as she drew back._

"_Goodbye, Severus." She whispered, and then she was gone, leaving the dark-eyed young man stood alone in the wood, his fingers touching his lips where she had kissed him. He stretched out a hand, as if he could still see her and was imploring her to return, and then something inside him seemed to break. He dropped to the floor, head in his hands, and cried._

* * *

Anna hadn't realised that she was stood opposite him under a tree, eyes fixed on his, until his hand fluttered up to caress her cheek.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, eyes locked on hers. She managed a small, wan smile.

"It's ok. I didn't realise it had affected you that much. I wouldn't have left if I'd known."

"Don't apologise." He cut in forcefully. "It isn't your fault. It's my fault, for not admitting to you earlier that I love you, Anna." He leant forwards, and pressed his lips to her. She stood frozen for a couple of seconds, before kissing him back happily. He tasted sweet, and she moaned softly as he increased the pressure, one hand dropping to her waist to support her. He drew back slowly, licking his lips.

"We've messed this up, haven't we?"

"Right and proper." She replied with a wry grin. He turned towards her slowly, and one hand reached back out to cup her cheek.

"I'm going to do this right, this time. Anna, I've loved you for years." He whispered. "Ever since that day you kissed me on the cheek after I caught you from falling out of a tree. I never said anything because I always thought it was you and Black, ever since that day by the lake. That was what I was going to say, that day I told you to go. I was going to tell you I loved you. When I asked how, I meant to ask how you could think that when you are so very beautiful."

She blushed, smiling. "I've messed this up as well, haven't I?" she asked with a sigh. "Severus, I've loved you for years, too. Since that exact same day, in fact. That's why that tree is so special to me. Black asked me to go to Hogsmeade that weekend, and when I refused he wouldn't let me go until I kissed him. But I always thought it was you and Lily."

"Well, we were both wrong." He replied with a flash of his innocent grin. "I love you, and this time, we're going to do it right. So, Anna Lupin, I would like it very much if you were to accept the offer of being my girlfriend. Better late than never, I guess."

"Of course." She replied, smiling happily. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly, and then took her hand and began leading her away.

"And now for your surprise."


	22. Flowers and Dirigible Plums

"Where are we?" Anna blinked a couple of times, disorientated. The sunlight seemed blinding compared to the darkened streets of Spinner's End. She heard a low, rough chuckle as Severus placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You should recognise it better than I do." He replied with an uncharacteristically warm smile. Slowly Anna rubbed her eyes a couple of times, blinked, and then looked up. And promptly threw herself at him, burying her head in his neck.

"T-Thank you!" she sobbed. "S-So much, S-Sev."

"You're welcome." Severus rocked her backwards and forwards, arms tightening around her. She smiled against his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of thyme and ginger. _Sev's smell._ Sighing softly, she pulled away and looked around joyfully.

"It's just as I remember it."

"And I." He smiled, resting his head on top of hers from behind. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him. She smiled, content.

"This is the best surprise I've ever had. Thanks, Sev."

"That's ok." He replied softly, and then leant down so that his mouth was inches from her ear. "It just so happens that Sergei is in town today. Just around the corner, at a very familiar market. I believe you know it well...?"

She grinned happily, twisting in his arms to beam up at him. Familiar dark eyes met hers and he smiled back before leaning down and pressing his mouth to hers. She was lost from the second his lips touched hers, and revelled in his taste – something between dark chocolate and cinnamon. He tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling them even closer, and she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Shall we go?" he whispered, chuckling softly at her slightly dazed look. She sent him a mock glare and then darted away down the street, giggling madly. He laughed again, a deep, rich sound which warmed her heart as she waited by the corner, and hurried to join her.

The market hadn't changed at all. Dusty stalls still swayed in a warm breeze, brightly coloured canopies still hung from every surface available – even if they were a little moth eaten. The same sellers stood at the same stalls – but the once young faces were lined and wrinkled, and the once jet black hair of many of them was streaked with white. However, there were a few new younger faces there as Severus led her between the stalls.

"_**Annoushka?**_" A quavering voice asked. She turned around hopefully, and her eyes sought the brimming grey ones of Sergei Belyakova.

"_**Sergei?"**_ she whispered. "_Nyeuzheli eto ty?__** Is that you**__?"_

"_Eto ya. Bozhe moĭ, vy vyrosli! I Severus, kak horosho! Chto vzyatʹ s soboĭ dvuh posetitelyeĭ lyubimoĭ na rynke segodnya, na vsem puti ot Anglii? __**It's me. Goodness, you have grown up! And Severus as well! What bring my two favourite visitors to the market today, all the way from England?**__" _He replied, reaching out a shaking hand to brush against her cheek. She smiled, catching it in her own and squeezing it tight before leaning over the stall and kissing him on the cheek. Severus rested a hand on her shoulder, and the old man sent them a knowing glance as he reached out to stroke Severus' cheek as well.

"_Tak vyrosli. Vy, nakonets, sprosil yee, chto li? __**So grown up. You finally asked her, then?**__" _Then, with a trace of his usual mischievous grin,_"Eto vy prinyali dostatochno dolgo. Vy dvoe idyealʹno podhodyat dlya drug druga. __**It took you long enough. You two are perfect for each other.**__"_

"_**Sergei**__!" _Both of them laughed, although Severus wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, smiling. "_Vy izmenili slishkom. Vashi volosy belye! YA nikogda ne dumal, chto ya budu videtʹ yego poĭti belyĭ. __**You've changed too. Your hair is white! I never thought I'd see it go white." **_

"You've been back?" Anna turned in his arms, looking up into the warm black eyes. He smiled warily.

"Once or twice a year until about five years ago. I stopped then. This still is the best place I know to get ingredients."

"_Idi, Severus. Mozhet bytʹ, vy mogli by ostanovitʹsya na obratnom puti - ya chto-to ya hochu datʹ vam oboim._ _**Off you go, Severus. Maybe you could stop by on the way back - I have something I want to give both of you.**__" _Sergei interrupted gently. She felt Severus take her hand and squeeze it gently.

"_Spasibo, Sergei.__** Thank you, Sergei.**__" _He replied, before spinning on the spot. She felt the familiar surroundings whirl, and then she landed in a very familiar place.

"Severus?" she whispered, unsure.

"Yes." He answered her unspoken question, before she spun around and pulled him into a tight hug, sobbing once more.

* * *

"Bye, Mione!" Harry called, waving up the drive to the curly-haired girl who was stood in the doorway with her parents, grinning. "See you in two weeks! Don't forget to write!"

After much discussion between Minerva and the Grangers - _he_ _could never think of them as Adelaide and Jon -_ it had been decided that Hermione would come to Hogwarts a year early, but so as not to distance her from those her age she would attend the extra lessons that Harry was taking. Unlike the compulsory school lessons, these included Latin, writing practice -which both Harry and Hermione needed- dancing lessons which Minerva hinted would be very useful in time to come, and a couple of spare slots. Most of these – with the exception of writing practice, which continued to be taught by Remus – would be taught by either Anna in her spare time or one of the other teachers. However, what had surprised Harry and what had him subsequently absorbed as they moved from Muggle house to Muggle house, was that Anna was definitely going to be the one who taught them to dance.

Minerva had assured them that Anna was a brilliant dancer – "At the fifth year ball, she and Remus cleared the floor. They were astounding – I never have seen anyone dance as well as they did. They were perfect together – which I expect comes from being twins. But your mother danced with Severus as well, and the two of them were just as good. It is a shame he refuses to dance anymore, although maybe that will change."

Finally, they reached the last house. It was completely different from any of the others he had been to – bent like a crooked finger, it beckoned to the sky. As he and Minerva edged through the rickety gate, he stared around in shock at the bright array of colours. Strange twisting trees studded with rich purple fruits which looked rather like apples, tall grass and leafy green bushes which spread across the path, covered in orange fruits, were a few of the plants Harry noticed as he and Minerva walked slowly up to the door. He recognised a couple of crab apple trees, bedecked in mistletoe, and then they reached the house itself. A large black door studded with nails lay slightly ajar, and he smiled as he read the two notices tacked to the wall nearby.

_Keep off the Dirigible Plums._

_Xenophilius Lovegood, editor and producer of the Quibbler._

"Can I help you?" a dreamy voice asked. Harry turned around to see a girl who was perhaps a year younger than him, with long, dirty blond hair and strange silver eyes which seemed to look into him. She wore a faded print dress and was barefoot. She carried a basket on one arm filled with the orange fruits he had seen previously, and in the other hand she held a purple sketch book and pencil. Her mouth was tilted upwards at one corner in a dreamy smile.

"Hello, Luna." Minerva said gently. "This is Harry."

"It's nice to meet you, Harry Potter. Anna Lupin adopted you, didn't she?" the girl asked, smiling still. Harry smiled tentatively back. He liked Luna. He had a feeling she knew much more than she was letting on, even if she was a little odd. He noticed for the first time that she had a strange blue flower tucked behind one ear, and a necklace made from walnuts strung together.

"Yes. She did. It's nice to meet you too, Luna." He stuck out a hand shyly. To his surprise, Luna grasped his hand like she was going to shake it, and then hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. He blushed lightly, and then looked down at the basket on her arm."What're those?"

"These?" Luna sat on the step, and he sat next to her. "These are Dirigible Plums."

"Like the ones on the sign?"

"Exactly." She replied in her soft Irish lilt. "Papa and I use them for cakes, and for tea. Would you like to try some?"

"O-Ok." Tentatively, he took one of the soft fruits from her and popped it in his mouth, biting down slowly. At once, a strong citrus taste oozed out of the fruit, like a mixture between orange and lime. It left a slightly tangy aftertaste, which gave way to a creamy texture which tasted slightly of walnuts. "They're delicious!"

"Do you think so?" Luna asked with a light smile, giving him a handful. "Here, keep these. We have lots. You're the first person I've ever met who likes them apart from papa. And Anna, of course."

"Mum comes here?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, yes." Luna pulled out her sketch book and showed him a page. It showed a young woman sat cross legged on the floor, making something which was obscured by the curve of her hands. Even the sketch was done in pencil, Harry could tell it was Anna. The tumbling curls and freckles were unmistakable. "She comes here often. She and mum were very good friends."

"Were?" Harry asked gently.

"Mum died a couple of months ago." Luna said quietly, and he noticed the startling change in her demeanour immediately. The silver eyes stopped being so misty and sparkly, and she seemed to sag slightly. "She was experimenting on something and it blew up."

"I'm sorry." He murmured apologetically, looking her in the eye. A vague smile tinged the corner of her lips.

"One thing I have found, Harry, is that people tend to apologise for things that aren't their fault. Besides, I know she's happy where she is."

"Just like Lily and James." Harry added pensively. And then, to break the sombre mood, "may I see your sketches? This one of mum is amazing – it's really lifelike."

"Of course." Luna moved closer, and he realised she smelt exactly like the Dirigible Plums in her basket. Slowly, the two children began to flick through the sketchbook, bathed in the sunlight.

* * *

"This place really hasn't changed." Anna smiled warmly, taking Severus' hand. "How did you know to bring me back here?" After about ten minutes of her sobbing into his shoulder, they had ended up on the sofa with him caressing her hair and murmuring to her softly. She knew he was uncomfortable, and probably would be mentally beating himself up for making her cry a second time, so gave him a reassuring smile and kissed his cheek.

"You talk of it so much." He replied. "I thought you would want to return, and...I admit I've always wanted to see the house where you grew up." She beamed up at him and took his hand, pulling them down the hall which was so familiar. _I used to run these corridors as a child, flowers in my hair._

They turned left, and she led him up a flight of stairs, the wooden steps creaking beneath them as they had always done. They moved higher and higher through the house, down the crimson carpeted corridors covered in mirrors.

"I used to dance down here." she said quietly, "looking at myself in the mirror."

"That you did." A soft voice replied. Both adults looked up to see a beautiful woman sliding into the frame which hung over a door. Her hair was midnight black, with strands of indigo and red running through it. Deep blue eyes smiled into the younger woman's. She was wearing her favourite blue dress. "You wanted to join the national ballet, up until you were about eight when you realised your toes were different lengths so you couldn't. I've never seen you so sad... until your father brought you a puppy called Luka."

"Mami." Anna whispered, moving nearer and raising one hand to stroke the painted woman's cheek. The dark haired woman smiled, pressing her hand against the edge of the frame.

"Hello, Anna." Tears were sliding down her painted face, and Anna longed to wipe them away. Gabriella looked over to Severus. "Come out of the shadows so I can see you, young man. Would you perhaps be Severus Snape?"

"I am. It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Severus bowed formally, a trace of his usual smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I regret I never met you in life."

"Something I regret as well." Gabriella replied. "I am assuming you happen to be the young man who cares for my daughter?" Seeing their astounded looks, she laughed, and the tinkling sound echoed down the corridor. "You forget that I placed wards on the Manor before I died, Doushka. The only men who may enter with you are your brother, your father and the man who has given his heart to you and to whom you have given yours."

"I forgot." Anna blushed slightly, avoiding Severus' stare. Her mother laughed again.

"You may find something in my jewellery box which will be of use to you both. Now then, I am to assume you haven't been here since I died?"

"No."

"Aaah, so you live in England?" Gabriella asked curiously.

"Yes. At Hogwarts. To be honest, I didn't know I was coming until Sev apparated me in."

Gabriella fixed her gaze on Severus. "You will be good for her, young man. She never does remember to take a break to visit those who perhaps would like to see her once in a while." Anna smiled sheepishly. " I can see you care for her, which is just as well, seeing as you are soul bonded."

"What?" both asked in confusion. Her mother smiled.

"You share a soul bond, my dears. Yours is very strong – the strongest I've ever seen. Your auras complement each other perfectly – did you honestly never wonder why you seemed drawn to each other as children and felt you could tell each other anything?" The two adults smiled at each other. They both remembered the first time they had confided in one another very well.

* * *

"_Severus?" Anna slipped into the compartment silently, so as careful not to wake the boy who was fast asleep on the seat. No one else was in the compartment, so she discretely cast a few repelling, invisibility and notice-me-not charms on the door and then crouched next to him. He was shivering slightly, and she frowned at his appearance. The grey clothes he was wearing were much too big for him, and seemed to hang off his haggard frame. He was much thinner than when she had last seen him, and his hair was matted and unkempt. Leaning nearer, she could see a couple of glamours, well done, but not well enough to escape her notice._

"_Sev." She whispered, shaking his shoulder. "Sev, wake up."_

_He murmured something incoherent, and then sat up suddenly, eyes wide. "Sorry, sir...Anna?" Black eyes darkened in confusion as he stared at her for a couple of seconds, and then glanced down at his clothes. A blush spread across his cheeks and he turned away. "I don't want to talk about it."_

"_Just like you don't want to tell me about the two glamours you're wearing, and why you're suddenly so thin? I only saw you a month ago, Sev."_

_He winced, and she sat behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "How about this? A secret for a secret? You take the glamours off and let me sort you out, as I'm pretty good at healing spells and transfiguration, and I'll tell you where I go every full moon." She was taking a massive risk, she knew, but he was more important than her pride and she trusted him. He swallowed._

"_Promise?"_

"_I swear on my magic." She replied firmly. He swung around and stared at her in surprise, and then reluctantly removed the glamours. She couldn't keep the small gasp that escaped her back as her eyes roamed over his bloodied appearance. He had a black eye, a nasty cut on his cheek, a bruised lip, scars and cuts down his neck, and turning his head to one side she could see some blood trickling from his hairline. She was surprised he had even been able to make it to the train, let alone carry his trunk into the compartment and have enough magic to conceal the bruises and cuts._

"_Oh Sev." She whispered, reaching out one hand to touch his cheek. He flinched away, eyes wide, and she let a small reassuring smile grace her lips as she touched his cheek again. "It's ok, Sev – just sit still and I'll heal you. Here – look." She summoned her bag and handed the pouch of balms and potions she kept in case she had a particularly bad moon to him. "I'm going to use these, ok? Feel free to sniff them to check."_

_He nodded shyly and pulled out a vial, scrutinising it carefully. She waited quietly until he was satisfied, and then took a jar of pinkish – brown salve and unscrewed the lid. It took her several goings over each cut and a good hour before most of his wounds had vanished well enough for him to keep the glamours off. He still had a couple of scars – one on his neck, one on the back of his head where he had obviously been thrown against something sharp or had been hit and one on his cheek. Satisfied, she pulled out a nutrient restorative potion – she didn't know why she had one in her bag, but she wasn't about to complain – and handed it to him._

"_Nutrient restorative. I've a couple of vials for some reason – take three drops now, and you'll need to take three every morning for the next two months."_

"_Thanks." He whispered, letting three drops fall on his tongue and grimacing at the taste. He had been silent the entire time she had healed him, but he seemed to have relaxed a little. Suddenly, hastily, he said,_

"_It isn't what it looks like, I promise."_

"_Sure. So you accidentally fell onto your father's hand and belt buckle every day for the last month and accidentally forgot to take proper meals three times a day?"_

_He glared at her for a couple of minutes, and then his features crumbled. "Is it really that obvious? He said I'd be in massive trouble if anyone found out. Please, __**please**__ don't tell."_

"_I won't." She sighed."Here, have these as well – I'm betting you have more scars that I don't know about, but I won't make you show me them." She handed him the entire bag of potions. He gazed at her for a couple of seconds, and then nodded and took it from her._

"_Thanks, Anna. Can you do anything about my clothes?"_

"_Easy." She flicked her wand at the offending rags, and they changed into a blue jumper, white t-shirt and jeans. She made sure to make them a little baggy to hide his figure, and he smiled gratefully at her._

"_How do you know all this?"_

"_Mum and Dad taught me." She replied evasively. He nodded, and then leant forwards._

"_A secret for a secret. Where do you go every full moon?"_

"_To Dumbledore's office." She said hesitantly, avoiding his eyes._

"_Why?"_

"_I'm..." she took a deep breath. "Remus is a werewolf, so he transforms every month in the shrieking shack. Because I'm his twin, and I tried to stop Greyback from killing him, our blood was mixed and I'm a half-werewolf."_

_Still she avoided his eyes, unwilling to see the disgust there. There was silence for all of three minutes before he tilted her head up, looking straight into her eyes. "I don't care. I don't care what you or your brother are, Anna. You're my friend, and that is all that matters. You could be a cross-breed dragon slayer and a vampire and I still wouldn't care a jot."_

"_Really?" she asked hopefully, staring back._

"_Really." He replied, a small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth._

* * *

"I'll open the music room for you, shall I?" Gabriella asked warmly. Anna grinned in excitement.

"Please! Is the piano still there? And the fiddle?"

"Everything is still there." Her mother replied warmly. "Although if you're living in England, you may want to move it to Hogwarts. It certainly is doing no good here, and I believe the looters will be here any day now. Nothing much here is worth anything – either emotionally or in money terms, but your room is still as it was."

"Maybe I will." Anna breathed out slowly. "Have any of the rooms been entered since I left?"

"No." Gabriella shook her head. "Not one. There might be some stuff in Remus' room which Harry would like, if he's anything like his uncle."

"Good idea. Will you move to Hogwarts?" Anna asked, tilting her head slightly to one side. Her mother nodded.

"I will. See you there, my dear. Goodbye, Severus." She curtsied to them both gracefully, and then walked out of the side of her portrait. The door behind the portrait swung open, and Anna pulled Severus inside.

"Welcome to one of my two favourite rooms in the whole house." She smiled up at him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. The two of them looked around the dusty room with the beautiful oak panels in silence. Her eyes were drawn to the piano in the centre of the room, and she turned in his arms.

"Play with me?"

"I haven't played in a long time." He murmured, leaning down to kiss her lightly. She sighed softly, and then pulled back, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Please?" she teased, kissing his jaw. She heard his indistinct moan and smirked cheekily, tugging him across to the stool. "Come on. A quick song. For me?"

"Blackmailing Gryffindor." He muttered, sitting next to her and spreading his fingers on the keys.

"Sneaky Slytherin." She shot back, and played the first few airy phrases. Within minutes the two of them were totally absorbed in the music, hands crossing and dancing over the ivory keys. Only when the piece finished did they finally come back to the world of the living, smiling at each other.

"Thank you." She whispered, hugging him tightly. He laughed, and the sound vibrated through her as he kissed the top of her head.

"You're welcome. Come on, let's shrink everything in here and I have a bag with an undetectable extension charm on it. You said something about a fiddle?"

"I did." Anna picked up the battered instrument resting on a cushion. She played a couple of dramatic phrases, and then grinned mischievously. "Let's get to it, then."

Within ten minutes, they had shrunk the piano, fiddle, a couple of portraits who had vehemently refused to be left behind, a pile of sheet music, quite a few books and a blanket which Anna could remember knitting as a child. Slowly, they made their way out of the now-empty room and up the wooden staircase at the end of the hall towards the bedrooms.

"This was your room?" Severus breathed, looking around the beautiful room they were in. It was largely simple, with a large window at one end looking out onto the purple mountains and tumbling brooks. _Like something from a fairy tale. _The sides were simple as well – but Anna was picking up objects and putting them into the bag, smiling reminiscently.

"My favourite in the house. Here – you might like this." She hurried over to a shelf and pulled down one of the last dusty books up there. "It's a story book."

Reverently, Severus took the book from her and opened it to the first page. "A collection of fairy tales, by Annoushka Despinia Lupin, age 8." He read, and then looked up, smiling. "You wrote these?"

"Yes." She replied shyly. "They're a child's perspective of the world, but the morals are essentially the same. Keep it," for he was about to give it back, "I know the stories by heart. I read them to Harry and they do help him sleep – perhaps they will do wonders for you as well."

* * *

"Mum! Severus! How are you? Did you have fun? Where did you go?" Harry showered both adults with questions as soon as they emerged out of the fireplace. Anna laughed softly and knelt down, pulling him into a tight hug.

"We're both fine, Harry. We went somewhere very special to me – the place where i grew up, in fact. Severus managed to arrange a portkey to Russia."

"Russia?" Harry's eyes sparkled. "Wow! I've always wanted to go there! What did you do?"

"Well, we went to a market in Saint Petersburg to see an old friend, and then we stopped off at my old house to collect some things. In this bag," she held it up, "I have a piano, a fiddle, about 20 books, half of my bedroom as a child and Remi's old toys. Not to mention half a dozen portraits. We need to find a nice deserted corridor for them, actually."

"You're joking." Harry laughed, running over to hug Severus. He smiled down at the small boy, pulling him close and whispering something in his ear. Harry grinned, and then bounced back over to her.

"I jest not, cub." She smiled down at the amazed green eyes, before leading him over to the sofa. "We'll sort it out tomorrow, though. What did you do today? How were the Muggleborns?"

Tentatively, Severus joined them on the sofa as Harry rushed off into an account of his day. "We went to see all the muggleborns and it was amazing and they were all really nice and Minnie let me do magic in front of the adults and there was a really nice girl called Hermione who can see Hogwarts in her dreams – how does she do that, mum – and we went to her tree house and it was really cool and Minnie said she can come to school early and learn with me and all the teachers will each us and she wants you and Severus to teach us to dance and I also met Luna who you know and she lives in a really cool house and she gave me some dirigible plums and they're _really _nice and she showed me some sketches of you and can we go back to see her again?" Both adults were laughing as Harry's face creased in effort as he managed to get the last question out, and then promptly took deep breaths afterwards.

"So, you met a muggle girl called Hermione, who is coming to Hogwarts to learn with you. That sounds fun, cub – is she nice? I don't know how she can see Hogwarts – perhaps she is part Seer."

"She is really nice." Harry grinned. "She showed me her tree house which is amazing, and I stood up to a couple of bullies for her. They were just like Dudley." Only the slightest darkening of the emerald eyes notified Anna that he was uneasy discussing his cousin. They still hadn't managed to discuss the Dursleys properly, although they were getting close in their nightly meetings after she had woken him from his nightmares.

"Minerva wants us to teach you both to dance?" Severus asked quietly. Harry nodded, smiling wildly.

"She told me that both of you are amazing dancers and apparently _everyone _watched you both in your fifth year. I didn't know you could dance, mum. Or you, Severus."

Anna chuckled as Severus coughed sheepishly. "I haven't danced in a long time. Not since seventh year, actually."

"I have. I'm actually a ballet dancer at professional standard, cub. Amongst other things."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I don't have to do ballet, do I?"

"No." Anna laughed. "Now then, you met Luna? How is she?"

"She's great! Of course, a little weird but she's really nice. How come we never have Dirigible Plums here?"

"Hogwarts doesn't usually have them. They're very rare." She replied, laughing as Harry emptied his pockets to reveal a handful of the orange fruits. "Although I see I need to make a couple of Dirigible Plum tarts."

Harry yawned, and she smirked down at him before catching Severus' eye. The black haired man was smiling down at the child who was leant against his shoulder contentedly.

"Time for bed, I think." She laughed.

"B-But Mum," Harry protested between yawns, "it's o-only eight o-o'clock."

"No arguing." She laughed at the child's very endearing glare. "Off to bed. Say goodnight to Severus."

"G'night Sev'rus." Harry wrapped his thin arms around the taller man, who was smiling as he hugged the child back, pulling him close.

"Goodnight, Harry." He murmured, and then the child clambered across to her.

"G'night, Mum."

"Goodnight, cub." She replied, kissing his forehead and cradling him close. "Sweet dreams."

They watched as Harry clambered off the sofa and trooped sleepily into his room. When the mussed up black head had vanished and they could hear him breathing peacefully, Severus wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. She leant into him, smiling as he began playing with her hair.

"Thank you, Sev, for such an amazing day." She whispered. He laughed warmly, and continued winding her hair between his fingers.

"You're very welcome." He replied. "Here. This is what your mother wanted us to have." From his pocket, he pulled a ying-yang, dangling on two musty leather chains.

"Mum and Dad's necklace." She breathed, taking one from him. "Both halves are woven with all sorts of protection charms, most unknown or forgotten, a portkey and I think we can communicate mentally as well. Which half?"

"Black." He replied with warm smile. "Then you can be my light." Anna blushed at the comment, but accepted the white half of the necklace from him. Gently, he helped her fix the necklace around her neck, and then placed the black one around his own.

_Anna?_

_Sev?_

_Well, this is amazing. Although it is probably a good thing we both know Occlumency. _He thought, smiling at her. They sat in comfortable silence for a little longer, lulled by the fire, until there was a soft caw and Midnight soared in through the window, a letter clutched in her claws. Anna took the envelope carefully and broke the seal, reading the contents quickly.

"Oh no..." she whispered. She felt two gentle hands rest on her shoulders and squeeze them lightly.

"What is it?" Severus asked softly, caressing the back of her neck. She leant into his arms, sighing as she placed the letter back on the table.

"The Dursleys. I got Albus to finally think about scheduling a trial for them."

"Isn't that good?"

"It's for _tomorrow_." She groaned, resting her head in her hands. She felt him pull her back towards him, and couldn't help but rest her head on his shoulder.

"There is no way it can be postponed?" he asked gently.

"None. Urgh, I _hate_ you, Albus Dumbledore." She hissed. Severus sighed, kissing the top of her head before resuming the comforting circles he was rubbing into her back.

"I'll come with you." He said, determined. She laughed, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek.

"Thanks, Sev, but you can't. Lucius will be there, and the last thing I want is for you to be tortured," _or killed_, "by Voldemort." He nodded, seeing the sense of her words even if he didn't want to accept it, and the two sat in weary silence a little longer.

"You need to tell him." He whispered.

"I know." She breathed in deeply. "I know. But he's not ready."

* * *

**_Well, there you go! I'm so sorry it took so long - we lost internet connection for a week so I couldn't write! Torture..._**

**_Please, please review! For one thing, I want to know whether I should give Draco a sister, or whether that would make it too AU... also, I'm going to add one more OC - boy or girl?_**

**_A massive thanks goes to everyone who has reviewed, and suggestions and constructive criticism are very welcome._**


	23. UPDATE

**UPDATE: 24/08/2013**

**So, I haven't updated this story in at least two years, and it was a complete surprise to continue receiving reviews! Although I'm very flattered that people still want to read it, I'm afraid that my writing style has changed dramatically and I have no further ideas as to where this story is going, and as a result I have no intentions of continuing this story arc. That being said, if anyone still reading it wants to take over the story, please message me and I'll hand it over! (Although you might need to help me as I actually haven't been on here in at least a year and a half!)**

**Much love**

**Jenna**


End file.
